


Sound of Poison Rain

by dreamyy



Category: Vampires - Fandom, vampire - Fandom
Genre: Childabuse, F/M, Friendship, Gay, Hate to Love, Humor, Love/Hate, M/M, Male Homosexuality, MalexMale, Multi, MxM - Freeform, Romance, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-04-19 14:10:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 77,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4749287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamyy/pseuds/dreamyy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He wasn't supposed to exist. It's no wonder his blood tasted so good, yet it was so... deadly. But that doesn't stop Nico. Slash.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Prologue – Abomination**

"Your son is an abomination."

The blonde vampire sighed, a frustrated explosion of air. He shook his head, his exaggerated brows drawing together in a frown as he continued, "Do you realize what keeping him alive will do to the rest of us? Our  _race?"_

"I'm well aware, Fitch," When Vincent spoke, there was an edge to his voice. It's no secret that allowing his newborn son to grow would result in a massive war between vampires, perhaps one far greater than before. "But perhaps no one has to find out the truth about his birth. Perhaps…" Vincent's voice seemed to crack a little but he merely coughed to clear his throat and continued, "Perhaps he will just not live long enough to be discovered."

Something like a snort escaped Fitch. "Don't be ridiculous. No child formed from the bond of a human and vampire has ever left the womb unscathed, but your newborn seemed to have accomplished what is only written upon in  _myths._  If he's strong enough to have been born, then there's no doubt he will survive years to come. You and I very much know that  _cannot—_ "

Unable to contain his anger and frustration at bay any longer, Vincent finally threw a trembling fist at the alley wall, causing it to dent and crumple, though Vincent's knuckles were barely scratched. "I  _know!"_ He didn't bother to hide the shaking in his words this time, "But I will not allow anyone to kill him, much less find out the truth about him!" Drawing in a deep breath, Vincent looked away from his closest friend and lowered his gaze in an attempt to hide his sorrow.

Unfortunately, their close bond of 75 years couldn't allow Vincent to hide any emotions. Fitch stepped forward carefully and placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, "Do not worry, Vince. No one will find out about him. Only the boy's mother and I, and yourself, have been informed of his birth, is that correct?"

At the mention of Linda, the human woman that had carried his newborn for 9 months, Vincent flinched. Linda had never wanted a child and was persistent on having an abortion, though Vincent was always there to remind her without explanation that the child would just die upon birth. A natural abortion, if you will. When hours went by and the child never passed, Linda's hatred for the child only grew into a deep loathing. Vincent never forgot the ice-cold glare Linda had given the baby when he was placed in her arms for the first time.

"That is correct," Vincent replied after composing his emotions.

Fitch looked thoughtful for a moment. "And in the past two weeks – since the time of your child's birth – has he shown any signs of possessing vampire abilities? Fangs? ….Immortality?" His dark eyes rose to meet his friend's confused icy blue ones and watched as they turned into a glare.

"Are you  _mad_?" The question drew Fitch off-guard and he looked offended for a moment. Before he could defend himself, he watched as Vincent shook his head, "No, he hasn't shown any abilities or fangs. As for his immortality… really, Fitch? How do you suppose we test that, shall we throw him over the nearest cliff? Drive a steak through his heart? Reveal the truth about his birth to the Elders?! Believe me, they will be more than willing to test his immortality!"

Fitch released a small chuckle, finding amusement in his friend's words. He placed his hands up defensively, "Alright, forgive me, it was stupid of me to ask," After Vincent's glare softened, Fitch decided it was safe to continue. "Though, it sounds as if he is no more special than a normal human baby. Perhaps it will be easy to keep him alive."

Vincent didn't like where this was going, and he had no intention of hiding it. "What, as a  _human?_ Out of all the stupid things you've said tonight,  _this_ is probably number one. No son of mine will live among those beings, no matter the consequences!"

Fitch chewed his lower lip thoughtfully, knowing full well that what he was suggesting would itself bring upon a war between him and his friend. "Vince, consider it. The boy isn't showing any signs of vampirism, and keeping him a part of our world would only make it clear that he's different."

"Quiet, Fitch. I don't want to hear any more of your nonsense," In anger, Vincent spun on his heels and started to make his way out of the alley. A strong grip on his wrist yanked him back, and he was forced to make eye contact with Fitch, who didn't seem to be making any attempt in hiding his pity. Almost immediately, the two began to explain their side on the matter, cutting through each other's sentences.

"I'm sure any human family will take him in, and—"

"—I can't believe you'd even consider—"

"—of course once they take him in, he can never find out about our race—"

"—My son, my blood, live with  _humans?_ Sure, he may seem human now, but he has vampire blood—"

"—In fact, it's probably best if he doesn't find out about you..—"

"—He's born a legend, and you expect me to throw him with those boring creatures, away from us, away from—" Vincent froze, just now hearing Fitch's last words. He swallowed hard, breaking his gaze from his friend's pity-filled stare, "Away from me." He repeated flatly, unable to process these words.

The blonde vampire remained quiet, not sure how to comfort Vincent.

"I don't understand. How did it come to this?" Vincent's voice was barely above a pained whisper, and his next words were strained, "He wasn't supposed to live."

But he did. The boy did live. A boy, born of vampire and human blood – something completely unheard of. For hundreds, no,  _thousands,_ of years, it became well known to vampires that it was impossible for a vampire child to survive in the womb of a human female.

Somehow, this boy did.

"My boy is  _not_  a human, Fitch." Vincent said in one shaky breath.

"He is not a vampire, either." Was Fitch's only reply.

In truth, neither vampire knew what the boy was –  _is._

* * *


	2. Promise

Five year old Valentine didn't know what was wrong with him. He knew he was in trouble when his mother gave him that hateful look, or when she suddenly grabbed his tiny throat. He was scared, but he didn't think she would actually hurt him. Valentine had quickly trained himself not to react—he wouldn't even dare himself to cringe. He would stand perfectly still when his mother neared him with a raised hand, ready to put his head through a plaster wall, threatening his life into submission. Reacting urged it on, he knew. His mother liked seeing him in pain. And if a single tear were to fall down his soft cheeks, his mother would only grab a fistful of his dark hair and pull his head back to drip boiling water down his throat.

No tears. No crying out. No groans.  _Absolute silence._ Valentine had sewn those rules into his brain. And when his mother was done shouting at him, done telling him to go die, done telling him how much she wanted to murder him, he'd quietly leave to finish up the daily chores that were thrown at him, as if everything was fine.

But everything was not fine. Valentine was starving; he hadn't been fed properly in nearly six days. His ribs were burning, his nose was bleeding, and his arms were covered in bruises from his mother's vice-like grips. But he was alive. He always just ignored the pain and the hating glare his mother would give him when he asked for a small piece of bread or a sip of water.

Valentine loved his mother, no matter what. He'd silently watch his mother sulk into her room and place her head in her palms after giving him a harsh beating. He didn't understand, but he wanted to. ' _Mom is so nice to me, she lets me sleep on the couch. She lets me eat the crumbs on the table after she is done eating.'_  were his thoughts. He didn't care if she nearly killed him with her bare hands. She was letting him live, and he was thankful for it. He didn't understand why she hurt him, but he never asked her. He didn't want to hurt his mom's feelings. If she liked hurting Valentine, he would let her. If she told him not to speak a single word for six months, he would obey.

Things have been going that way for about five years. There was no father in the house—in fact, Valentine didn't even know if he had a father, nor did he ever really think about it. His mother had brought up the subject of his dad only once, and that was to blame Valentine for his departure. But she blamed him for  _everything,_ even things he hadn't done, so he figured this was just one of those things. He never dared ask why his father left, because talking only resulted in more beatings.

One day, Valentine made the accident of falling asleep on the kitchen table. When his mother came home, she shoved him onto the hard floor, but Valentine only slowly opened his eyes and sat up, waiting for what was coming. His mother grabbed his arms and yanked them back at an abnormal angle, and Valentine couldn't help but cry. His ice-blue eyes tried to blink back the tears, but it wouldn't work. He pulled his head down, trying to cover his eyes with his black hair, but his mother only caught him. She slapped him across the face, hard.

"You  _filthy_ child, you  _monster_! Get out of my sight, now, LEAVE!" his mother shouted into his ear, causing tiny goosebumps to rise on his arms. But she wouldn't let his arms go, so how could he leave? The more he tried to resist, the harder she'd hold onto his fragile arms. But it wasn't over, not yet. "You stupid disgrace! Can't you see? No one likes you, no one ever will! Vincent promised you wouldn't live, he promised—…Ugh, you stupid, worthless, ugly child!" And with that, she'd let go of his arms and raise her foot back. Valentine, knowing better than to close his eyes, watched as her leg swung forward and kicked him right into his empty stomach. Blood flew out of his mouth, but his mother didn't seem to care; she shook her head slowly and walked away from him, leaving him to deal with the horrid pain.

Valentine wanted to reach out, wanted to slowly hug his mom and tell her how much he loved her. He wanted to say sorry for being such a bad child. But what was he doing wrong? He did everything his mother asked of him, and more. He didn't know what to do, and he was in so much pain.

He didn't expect what happened later that day, though. He didn't think his mother would actually kick him out of the house. But she did, and her word was final.

Day and night, Valentine stood outside the door, silently thinking that this was a joke and she'd let him go back in. His head was throbbing and his body was trembling in fear and pain from not eating in days to a point where the acid in his stomach was eating itself, and his heart was burning every time the thought of his mother not opening the door came into his mind. But she never did open the door. He would never see his mother again.

After the third day of standing hopelessly outside the door on weak knees, he finally gave in and walked into a dark alley right between his house and another building. His small body curled into a ball, his lanky arms hugging his knees against his chest. He could feel it, he was dying. No one liked him, and no one would come and save him. His mother hated him. Stupid Valentine, why was he so stupid, so worthless…

* * *

A man dressed in a long, black trench coat loomed over the small boy's body that was hidden behind two trashcans trapped between two buildings. He raised an eyebrow and pushed the trashcans out of the way and stared at the boy, who had fallen asleep on a pile of trash.  _Asleep? Or dead?_  The man looked closer and saw that the young boy was covered in blood and bruises layered his skin. He bent down and slowly slid an arm underneath the boy's neck, and another arm looped around his shoulder. He sat the boy up, mentally noting how light his body was.

The man examined him carefully. The kid looked about four or five years old, with dark, long, curling eyelashes. His eyelids were only halfway closed, and the man could see light blue eyes hidden behind them. The boy was beautiful, with his pale face and dark hair that reached his eyes. The man's eyes widened as they scanned the bruises, the blood, the cuts, the deep gashes. His shirt was at least three sizes too big, and nearly shredded. The man felt his throat tightening as he looked the boy over, and only one thought sprang to mind - What person could do this to a mere child?

The strange man saw the boy's body moving up and down slowly. He was alive. Strange, considering the man couldn't pick up a scent from the small figure. He quickly swept the boy up in his arms and walked away from the dark streets. The man didn't know why, but he felt a strange, familiar power illuminating from the boy but he chose not to worry about it too much as he carried the small figure toward his house.

The term 'house' was an understatement. A mansion consisting of 5 large bedrooms and 3 bathrooms surrounded by 4 acres of land was more precise. As the man wearing a trench coat carried Valentine inside, the small boy began to stir but was far too weak and traumatized to believe that the warm arms he was in were anything but a mere delusion.

When the man stepped foot inside the main living room, four teenagers immediately made their way toward him. The first one to arrive was a tall, lean blonde boy with square-framed glasses that hid his emerald green eyes, and a few light freckles dotted his high cheekbones. Behind him was another male and two females. The blonde boy appeared to be the oldest- about 18 years old, while one of the black-haired girls was only about 15. When the blonde caught sight of the bundle in the man's arms, the boy raised his eyebrows and a dimple appeared against one of his cheeks as he smirked, "You've got to be joking. I know you said we have to try to stick to animal blood or blood that belongs to the weak, but using a little kid as food—" The blonde boy was suddenly cut off by the black-haired girl; another one of the teenagers. The girl had smacked the blonde's arm, shooting him a dark glare that told him to shut up and the blonde reluctantly stayed quiet, though not without shooting her a cold glare as well.

The man in the trench coat had set the boy down against a sofa and was now staring at the four teens in front of him, "Nico, Arielle, Ivan, Violet. Stay quiet or you'll wake him up. I didn't bring him here to feed you," the man mumbled tiredly and in annoyance as he slipped his trench coat off and threw it aside, revealing the white v-neck and dark blue denims he was wearing.

Then, standing up straight, the man looked at each of the teenagers individually before letting out a tiny sigh and began to explain his findings "The boy was abandoned by his mother, I think, so—"

"You _think_?"The blonde boy spoke up again, resulting in everyonein the room to glare at him. He raised his hands innocently in defense and snapped his mouth shut, but had a tiny smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"Nico, just listen to me," the man continued tiredly, addressing the blonde, "I found him literally on the street, and judging from his condition, I don't think whoever tossed him aside wants him," He paused for a moment, as if expecting Nico to intrude once more. When he didn't, the man continued. "We can't raise him due to, well…obvious reasons." as the words came out, the man eyed the black-haired girl, who shrank back and looked guilty for a moment. She was the youngest of all of them, and well, the  _newest._ In other words, raising him in a house filled with vampires – especially new ones – would just be contradictory in trying to keep the boy alive.

"We can just kill him. I mean, he already looks pretty dead to me. I don't even smell him." Nico said with a snort as he started to approach the small figure lying on the sofa. Immediately, Nico was faced with a sharp set of fangs from the trench-coat man, causing the blonde to quickly back away, his eyes wide.

"One more outburst from you, and  _you'll_ be the one to die…again," the man snapped at Nico, who just smiled smugly but remained quiet, allowing the man to continue. "We can't kill him, it's not…right," the man said, though something was hidden in his eyes as his words came out. It was clear the man was hiding something about the boy that the others didn't know, but none of them asked. "And he's too young to turn into one of us. The only other option we have is to put him into a coma until he heals and all his memories have faded. Yes, it'll take years—maybe even a decade, or more. That's the perks of healing a human. But I believe it has to be done. But before we start, I need you all to promise that when he's ready and awake, you'll take care of him. He'll be given a few small memories to begin with, but it won't be enough. All four of you  _must_ watch over him."

All four teens exchanged confused glances at one another, but they knew better than to argue with the man's request, so they merely nodded, unable to figure out why they had to waste their time and energy on some unwanted human child. Still, they trusted the man and knew he did things only for good reasons.

"I promise," they replied simultaneously, except for Nico. All gazes were on him at that moment. He rolled his eyes and folded his arms against his chest. Moments later, he took one good long look at the frail boy struggling for breath on the sofa before letting out a tiny sigh.

"I promise," the blonde finally mumbled under his breath, turning away from the others. He didn't like this one bit.

Not one bit.


	3. Glitter

_**12 Years Later** _

Evening sunlight painted Trinity High-school in golden hues, filtering in through the fluttering drapes of the 11th grade science classroom. The black-haired boy seated at his desk let his pen drop; head drooping as he pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes in a rare display of weariness.

Valentine stirred restlessly in the plastic chair as he reached down to pick up his pen. His gaze drifted around the room, taking in the cement floor, the table littered with magazines and novels, the inexpensive furniture, coffee pot and TV. His gaze had traveled the same path at least ten times in the last few minutes. It wasn't that he was impatient... he just didn't like waiting around, as contradictory as that sounded. His gaze jumped from head to head as he tried to count the number of students struggling through Mr. Brigg's English exam but before he could even reach the second row, his train of thought was interrupted by the devil himself.

"Owens! If you're done with your exam, please bring it up here," Mr. Brigg said as he stared Valentine down through his reading glasses. With a tiny sigh, Valentine grabbed his very incomplete exam paper, slipped out of his desk, and made his way over to Mr. Brigg with slight irritation in his expression. He didn't know why, but Mr. Brigg was always on his case. Valentine didn't  _understand_ why—sure, he was a bit ADHD and tended to forget things easily, but that was nearly every teenager in Trinity Highschool so why did Brigg have to pick on him, the kid that's only been in school for 2 months.

As Valentine made his way back to his desk, which was in the smack middle of the classroom, he met gazes with another boy who happened to be  _completely_ done with his exam. The boy was blonde with square-framed glasses that Valentine liked to refer to as 'hipster glasses'. Their gazes hardly met for over five seconds when Valentine suddenly looked away, feeling a sense of paranoia. The thing is, the blonde boy, otherwise known as Nico Fares,  _hated_ Valentine and again, Valentine had absolutely no idea why. Normally, he wouldn't care too much considering how much he'd gotten used to being so despised all the damn time but being hated by Nico meant something else – it meant being a loner for the rest of his highschool career.

Nico was probably the most popular boy at school for the most obvious reasons. For one, he was extremely attractive and nearly every girl fell for the light freckles that dotted his high cheekbones and the way a single dimple would appear on his left cheek when he smiled. Rumor around school said that Nico was bisexual, but no one could have admitted to seeing Nico dating another girl, much less another boy. Not only did he have the looks but he also had the brains. As far as everyone knew, the boy was a genius who basically got good grades without breaking a sweat. And speaking of sweat, the blonde boy was known for his ability to be good at practically  _any_ sport. He was literally  _perfect_ , whatever that word meant.

So, in summary, if word got out that the most popular kid at school didn't like Valentine, then of course he'd have a hard time fitting in.

Fortunately, just as Valentine made it back to his seat, the bell rang. After a bit of groaning here and there, the students tried to scribble the answers to the question they were last in before hurrying to turn their papers in. Valentine shoved his materials inside his school bag before heading straight for the door, but then—

"Valentine, can you stay here for a moment?"

Valentine shut his eyes for a moment and spun around on his heels as he headed back to good ol' Mr. Brigg, who had set his glasses to the side and was looking very,  _very_ disappointed. As usual.

Mr. Brigg waited until the classroom had emptied out before he spoke up, "I understand you just started at this school recently and you're still getting used to things, but your grades are already slipping. Is everything okay at home?"

Home. Valentine didn't really have a home—he resided in the first floor of an apartment by himself. It was more than enough, really, but sometimes Valentine wondered if he'd always been an orphan. The strange this is…Valentine couldn't remember. He couldn't even remember any experiences from middle school, elementary school…nothing. It was as if he'd just been born and all he knew was where he lived, what school he went to, what grade he was in, and what his name was.

"Um, yes sir," Valentine replied sheepishly, feeling slightly nervous by the sudden personal question. "I'm just, um, settling in at school and stuff. I promise I'll raise my grades," he replied, his words coming out sounding as if they were rehearsed. Valentine really had no idea how to settle in, and nothing he took at school actually made sense. Still, he couldn't exactly tell that to a teacher—especially not Brigg, who really needed to back off Valentine's case.

And surprisingly enough, Brigg did. To Valentine's surprise, he nodded once at Valentine, giving him permission to be dismissed to lunch and Valentine wasted no time to scurry out of class.

* * *

Lunch that day was definitely not what Valentine had been expecting.

Normally, he chose to remove himself from the rest of highschool society and seated himself in an empty table. It was the same exact table he always sat in and people—for some strange reason—never bothered to feel the new kid welcome. So as Valentine made his way toward that table, he froze when he realized it wasn't as empty as it should be.

Sitting there, with her back facing him, was a black-haired girl. Valentine glanced around for a moment, wondering if the girl was new or something because, well,  _no one_ ever sat in Valentine's table.

Valentine made his way over and set his lunch tray against the table before sitting in the seat opposite of the girl. When he caught sight of the girl's face, his breath slightly hitched and he quickly looked away, wondering if it was too late to make a run for it. Even though they looked  _absolutely_ nothing alike, rumor was that this girl and Nico were actually siblings. But really, the only thing the two had in common was that they were both extremely attractive. The girl's hair was wavy and reached down nearly to her butt, and her eyes were narrow and a lovely shade of grey-blue. Valentine had to force himself not to stare too long as he started to sit up again, "Oh, um, sorry," he mumbled sheepishly as he started to leave.

The girl immediately reached over and placed a hand against Valentine's arm, "No, no, it's okay!" She replied quickly, giving Valentine a warm smile that sent strange tingling sensations in the pit of his stomach. Once Valentine slowly sat back down, the girl removed her arm, "I'm Violet," She said cheerfully as she reached over and picked a French fry from Valentine's plate and popped it in her mouth. Valentine blinked once but said nothing and he forced himself to sit back down, trying not to look as nervous as he felt.

When Valentine didn't say anything for a brief moment, Violet reached over and grabbed another fry and bit the edge of it before straightening up, "You know, this is where you say 'Oh, hi, I'm Valentine, nice to meet you—'" Violet was suddenly cut off as she caught sight of Valentine's surprised expression, "—what? What is it? Did I drool while eating, because oh god that would be so—"

"No, no," Valentine quickly replied in a mumble as he tore his gaze away. The only thing that had surprised him was the fact that this girl actually knew his name, but he wasn't about to admit that, "You're fine," He added to Violet, who was now rubbing at her mouth in case she had drooled. He paused for a moment before giving her a small smile, "Hi, I'm Valentine. It's nice to meet you, Violet."

Violet replied to this with a warm smile of her own as she crossed her arms against the cafeteria table and leaned slightly forward, "There. Not so hard now, is it?" She asked in a teasing tone, which left Valentine very confused. No one  _ever_ talked to him, much less talked to him like  _that_. Especially not popular and pretty girls.

So after another moment of silence had passed between the two, Valentine finally stopped pretending to be interested in the little crossword on the side of the milk carton and instead glanced back up at Violet, who'd been…staring at him. When their gazes met, Valentine was the first to shyly look away but he forced himself to speak up, "I, um, do you need something?" He finally managed to mutter out. The question caused Violet to raise an eyebrow as she examined him for a moment before finally nodding her head.

Valentine let out a tiny exasperated sigh under his breath. Of course she needed something. No one would ever sit with him just to have a nice chat, or just to be his friend, or—

"There's this party over at my place tonight. The parents are gonna be out and, well, I was wondering if you'd like to come." Violet gave Valentine a wide smile, but all he could manage to do was nod once in reply as he tried to process her invitation. He'd never,  _ever,_ talked to Violet in his life—in fact, he didn't even talk to  _anyone_ —so the fact that he was suddenly invited to some grand highschool party by one of the most popular girls at school slightly…scared him.

But he couldn't exactly tell Violet that the offer freaked him out, so he just nodded sheepishly, "Sure, I'll see if I can make it," He replied, though Violet's attention had been turned toward her purse, which she was digging through. After a moment, she pulled out a tiny pink sticky note, which she reached over and stuck against Valentine's chest. Not knowing why, Valentine flinched at the sudden contact but quickly hid his reaction by reaching over and pulling the sticky note off his shirt to read it. It was an address and beneath it was a 9-digit number that he assumed to be the girl's phone number.

Before he could thank her, Violet had already shot out of her seat and was waving at him, "You better make it!" She called out over her shoulder before making her way toward another table. His gaze followed her for a bit longer but when Valentine realized she was moving toward the table where Nico and two other popular kids sat, he quickly looked away, not wanting to catch their attention.

Valentine's eyes glazed over at the sticky note once more, but he couldn't help letting out a tiny sigh. Once more, he was sitting alone.

* * *

The black haired boy stepped into the cool air-conditioned interior of the hall with its thick carpeting, elaborate red and gold hangings and impressive chandeliers. His blue eyes quickly scanned the amount of highschool students in front of him then his heart sank. Damn, he'd arrived late. But at least now he knew the invitation wasn't some sort of a dark prank. Instead, he felt like a single fish in a sea of a million and because of that, he figured the invitation he received didn't mean anything. Practically every 11th grader and other kids from different grades were inside Violet's house, which was basically a mansion.

Right when he was allowed into the door, he had been guided by a butler of some sort through a hallway. Valentine had taken one quick peek at what the butler was wearing and suddenly felt the urge to groan when he realized that even the butler was far better dressed than he was. Valentine had decided to wear a pair of dark denim jeans and a white v-neck that complimented his lean body nicely, but didn't do him justice at the party. The butler, the freaking  _butler,_ didn't even look old enough to be a butler. He looked somewhere in his late 20's and unlike Valentine, he had a classy suit on. A suit at a highschool party. Made sense.

Once Valentine was guided through the hallway and into the back of the house, where the party was being held, the butler suddenly turned around and walked back into the direction they'd come from, leaving Valentine where he was now – in a sea of fish. And he was one fish among a million.

Feeling humiliated and completely out of place, Valentine wondered why he'd even bothered to come. Considering he had no car and he lived on his own, Valentine was given no choice but to take the  _bus_ to the party but luckily, the bus stop was a few blocks away from the actual house so no one had actually seen him, or so he hoped. He also didn't have any friends to actually party with, but that thought didn't even occur to him until now, when he was able to pick out every clique of friends at the party, all of which didn't include him. He was pleased to note that everyone was pretty much ignoring him. There wasn't any acrimony about it; they simply didn't seem to see him. He might as well have been a fixture on the table or a coat rack. This peace was disturbed however. In just a few moments, loud pop music started blaring and immediately, random groups began to break out into dances as the party vibe spread.

It wasn't long before a commotion at the nearby entry to the party hall drew Valentine's attention. The talk had grown louder and several people were detaching themselves from conversations and dancing to look over in that particular direction. Valentine looked towards the source of the shift and saw someone he could have happily spent his evening without seeing.

Nico had arrived at the party.

He was fashionably late, dressed to the hilt in a pair of tight black jeans and a zebra patterned shirt, and tailed unobtrusively by Violet and another boy that Valentine vaguely remembered as one of the guys at the table that Violet usually sat in. Violet grinned at the warm welcome offered by her friends, returning greetings and flirting charmingly with a couple of the guys that flocked to her side. Nico, on the other hand, seemed very perplexed but it wasn't long before girls began making their way toward him. Typical.

Feeling even more out of place than before, Valentine made his way toward the bounty-laden refreshment table and caught sight of the punch that was left out for people to drink. Valentine reached for a cup and began pouring himself some of the juice but just as he was about to raise the cup to his lips, he felt a hand against his shoulder. Valentine paused after taking a single sip and lowered his drink when he caught sight of who it was. Just as he was about to open his mouth to say a simple hello, he instead almost spit the juice back into the cup in shock. The rich, full blossom taste of dry alcohol, laced with the strong, sharp sweetness of the juice flooded Valentine's mouth and senses.

The figure behind him giggled quietly as she studied Valentine's precious reaction to the alcohol-spiked drink. "It's just some alcohol with fruit punch, Val. It won't hurt you. Unless you drink too much of it, of course," the girl, who Valentine recognized as Violet, said.

The thought simply gave Valentine pause for a different reason now and he sniffed the cup slightly, reluctant at the thought of getting drunk at a party that would soon get wild. Unable to hide her amusement anymore, Violet gave up and looked away. "Okay, if you're  _afraid_ , don't drink it then. I can get you some of the kiddie punch, would you like that better?" she inquired with mild exasperation.

Valentine didn't dignify that with an answer, a familiar stubborn set coming over his features as he silently took a deep swill of the strange alcohol. It was disturbingly good, actually, so it wasn't like he had to force himself to drink it. It was just... the idea of it.

Violet leaned the back of her thighs against the refreshment table and crossed her arms as she studied Valentine with amusement, "I didn't think you'd come, but I'm glad you did," she said, tilting her head to one side as she gave him a warm smile.

Valentine took another sip of his drink and stepped away from the table. He opened his mouth to reply but without a moment's warning, Violet glanced towards Valentine with a slight quirk of her lips. "I have to go, try to stay out of trouble, all right? And go easy on that stuff," she nodded towards the already almost empty cup in Valentine's hand before she disappeared into the swirling crowd to join her friends.

Valentine snorted at Violet's admonishment, finishing the last of his spiked drink and setting aside the cup as he watched the girl disappear. He would not admit to feeling either nervous or out of place alone in the middle of this gathering. No. He would not. Very content to stay as far on the fringes as he could get, Valentine got one of the small plates nearby and tried some of the different delicacies from whatever was laying out on the refreshment table. At least, those that he recognized. Given he was in Nico's house, he wasn't about to try anything that didn't look something like normal food.

The food, which was mainly desert, was actually very good, but some of it made him thirsty. Not sure what was safe to drink and what wasn't, Valentine went for another glass of the drink he'd picked out before.

It wasn't long before Valentine began to see doubles, so he quickly forced himself away from the refreshment table. It felt like time had slowed down, sound becoming muted and distorted like his heart pounding in his ears. Just as he was about to take a step forward, he crashed into someone. Whoever it was seemed annoyed since immediately after the crash, Valentine heard a line of curses that were all aimed toward him. Valentine, who just wanted to be somewhere quiet, ignored whoever it was and started making his way around the person, but was stopped when a vice-like grip caught his wrist.

Feeling dizzy and sick, Valentine turned to see who it was and for a moment, he forgot to breathe. Out of all the people to run into…of course it had to be  _him._

" _Apologize,_ you brat," Nico was hissing, his grip around Valentine's wrist tightening until Valentine was sure he began to feel bruises form. Valentine was having a hard time getting his heart to slow down. The alcohol he'd consumed was working against him and it was a dozen times harder than it should have been to get control of himself and calm the raging revulsion and panic he was feeling. Valentine shook his head slowly. There was absolutely no way he'd apologize to someone who seemed to hate him for absolutely no reason just because he'd accidentally bumped into him.

Nico didn't seem amused by Valentine's reluctance to apologize and without warning the other boy used his grip on Valentine's wrist to quickly pull him along towards the patio doors as he led him outside of the house. The air felt cool on his skin and Valentine felt dizzy and sick all at the same time as he stumbled along, not knowing what was happening. The music, the voices and the smell of alcohol faded as Nico and Valentine left the patio behind, delving deeper into the gardens until they were alone in an un-trafficked area of the grounds where the gardens met up with the side of the house. Nico pushed Valentine back against the brick wall of the house and let him lean there. Valentine shoved the blonde boy's hands away from him and Nico backed off a pace, looking away.

"Why'd you come here, anyway?" Nico asked, his voice cold and flat. Valentine couldn't help but let out a tiny snort at the question, as if to say it was a stupid one. Nico could practically smell Valentine's fear and disgust toward him. The emotion was so strong from the black-haired boy that it echoed in Nico's own senses, almost giving the blonde a headache.

Nico watched as Valentine pushed away from the wall, looking away as he crossed his arms over his chest, almost pulling into himself in a closed posture, "I was invited," Valentine replied stubbornly as he forced himself to meet gazes with Nico, but it was almost like staring into daggers. "By Violet," he added, as if that made things better.

Valentine noticed something like surprise cross Nico's expression for a moment but he was far too drunk to think of it as anything more than a delusion. The only emotions he'd ever seen on Nico were hatred, annoyance, and…hatred.

"Yeah, well, you shouldn't have come," Nico suddenly replied back, his glare hardening once more. "You're no longer invited, so just get lost. And don't drink any more, no one wants to have to carry you out of here." Despite Nico being a complete asshole to Valentine for no reason, Valentine couldn't help but feel as if Nico was somehow trying to keep him from getting in trouble. But the fact that he was being so rude and so damn aggressive was enough to make Valentine's blood boil.

Valentine gave Nico a dark look, "I'll stay,  _thanks,"_ he muttered stubbornly as he started walking around Nico to go back inside the house, not feeling very comfortable staying alone with the other boy. Something about Nico always sent dark shivers down Valentine's spine but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Before Valentine made it even two steps around Nico, the blonde boy had grabbed the front of Valentine's shirt and shoved him roughly back against the wall, causing Valentine to wince and groan in pain.

Valentine was drunk. Nico was trying not to take advantage of him. Valentine already thought he was a manipulative, callus bastard; Nico didn't need to feed that fire. He didn't ever want to see again that look of horror and disgust he'd seen on Valentine's face earlier. But Nico was no saint and in some matters his control only went so far. He  _needed_ to get Valentine out of the house without making a commotion but the boy was being so damn stubborn. He couldn't help but blame Violet for this, but he knew she'd only wanted to make Valentine feel more welcome. But Nico knew better than that. He knew that no matter what, there was no way they'd be allowed to treat Valentine like any other normal human, simply because his memories were so… fake.

Valentine groaned softly again and shoved his fingers into his hair, holding his throbbing head. He didn't feel so good and the weird feeling in his stomach wasn't going away. Nico seemed to sense that something was wrong and his arm caught around the other boy's shoulder, steadying him. Valentine suddenly jerked his body away, anger flaring hotly again, "Stop touching me!" he demanded, his words slurring just a little bit that time. He  _hated_ being touched.

To Valentine's surprise, Nico actually did take a step back and when Valentine tried to focus into the other boy's eyes, he saw something like sadness flicker in his gaze but it was soon replaced with something else. Nico was looking at him intently and Valentine felt his body temperature rising despite himself. That dark, alluring radiance that usually only presented itself when Valentine got the vibe that Nico was annoyed. Valentine swallowed quietly.

"Apologize for speaking to me that way," Nico growled softly, voice bitingly hard and yet dangerously silky at the same time, "You're in  _my_ house, in  _my_ presence. I don't even want you here."

Instinctively, despite how afraid he was, Valentine balked. An unbearable tightness built in his chest and he felt like the air pressure around him was being compressed painfully. Valentine couldn't tell what was going on, but he felt that Nico's will leaned very strong on him.

"Apologize." The command was repeated flatly.

Valentine suddenly fell forward, catching himself on one hand, clutching his chest with the other, his ears popping. "I'm sorry..." he rasped softly, his voice trembling despite the fact that he practically spit the words. "I apologize, all right?" he gasped through his teeth, feeling like his ear drums were going to shatter. At first, he thought it was a reaction to being drunk but since he'd never gotten drunk before, he couldn't really tell.

The pressure intensified for a horrible instant, then it suddenly eased and Valentine found himself once more gasping softly for air. He looked up to find Nico glaring coldly at him. Valentine was not prepared for when Nico's hatred-filled eyes met his. "Get out!" the blonde snapped softly through his teeth, his control slipping just enough that the rawness of the emotion inside him showed for a brief moment.

Valentine didn't need to be told a second time. He didn't know what kind of game Nico was playing, if he really intended to let him go or if this was a trick, but at the moment it didn't matter. He desperately needed to get away. He struggled to his feet, but before he managed to even make it a step away, Nico had caught hold of Valentine's shoulder and he pushed him back just enough so that Nico's mouth was beside Valentine's ear, "Your life is practically worthless, and I can't think of a  _single_ reason why I should keep you alive. But I'm going to say this only once, so listen carefully. If you utter a single word about what happened here today, I  _will_ know. So be a good little  _bitch_ and keep your mouth shut."

Nico dropped his hand away from Valentine's shoulder and without a moment's waste, Valentine hastily disappeared out of Nico's view, keeping his gaze low the whole time. He was so miserably confused at the moment but all he wanted to do was to make sure he didn't cross paths with Nico again that night. Or ever again. There was something unbearably dark about that blonde. He shuddered and wrapped his arms around his body, trying to keep warm as he stalked away from the house, knowing he was no longer welcome to the party. Then again, he never really did feel welcome.

Once Nico returned to the party, he made sure to wipe any traces of anger from his face. It wasn't long before he noticed the tension among three particular figures in the room but he didn't dare to meet gazes with them and instead, he pulled himself into the crowd.

It was a good reminder that despite the glamorous, affluent face of things such as an innocent high school party, one could never afford to forget that danger, deceit and darkness never lurked far below the swirling glitter.


	4. Tampon

**Chapter 3 – Tampon**

Valentine was a used tampon in his past life. Or so he thinks.

It made sense, really, considering the way some people used him and walked all over him. The way he was treated like he was some pain up someone's ass.

According to Nico Fares, he  _is_ a pain up everyone's ass. Which is why it made no sense to the blonde when he was suddenly whacked against the back of his head with a...

Nico glanced over his shoulder, throwing a glare at Ivan and the stupid shoe he was holding. Great, he'd been hit with a freaking  _flip-flop._ "What the hell, man? What was that—"  _Whack!_ Once more, the flip-flop came flying down against Nico's head. Before Ivan can land another hit, Nico yanked the shoe out of his grip and tossed it away.

"We're supposed to be watching over him, not making him feel like some abandoned toy!" Ivan replied, taking a moment to pause and glance to see if his other so called 'siblings' would defend him. The other two were too busy cleaning up the mess from the party, which had eventually came to an end when some kid decided it'd be hilarious to pee into all the drinks. Unfortunately, the pee was left unnoticed until some other kid pointed out that the spiked drinks tasted funkier than usual.

Feeling exasperated, Ivan ran a hand through his brown curls and continued to try and understand Nico's actions. "I just don't get it, Coco," Ivan mumbled. Nico raised both eyebrows at the nickname, but decided against saying anything for the time being. It was well known that Ivan was weird. I mean, come on. Flip-flop slapping, his ridiculous nicknames… Leave it to Ivan to be unique.

As he picked up some abandoned panties with a napkin, Ivan scrunched up his nose, "I mean… when we were waiting for him to wake up all these years, you were the only one who actually went to his room and—"

"Shut up," Nico cut the other boy abruptly before he could reveal what happened all those years Valentine had been in their custody. Out of all of them, Ivan was the only one who knew, and that's only because Ivan had a way of reading people's thoughts. It was a small gift – an ability, if you will. All of them possessed a certain ability, though their father-figure, Harold, preferred if they didn't use those abilities in public.

Ivan pouted, but Nico ignored it. As much as he found Ivan annoying at the moment, he had to appreciate the fact that Ivan was the only one not giving him the silent treatment. He couldn't say the same for Violet and Arielle, who'd insisted that Nico had overstepped that night. Still, they both knew Nico would never admit to his wrongdoings or apologize for them, so it was best to just stay quiet and wait for Harold to—

The front door suddenly burst open, and a man dressed head to toe in black stepped inside. Ah, yes. Speak of the devil.

"Harold! Thank god you're—" Violet was cut off as Harold practically stomped inside the house, not stopping until he was inches away from Nico, who was currently pretending to be interested in a broken CD on the ground.

"What the  _hell_  did you think you'd accomplish!?" Harold all but spat at the blonde before him. Nico merely kept his gaze down. Harold was scary when he was mad, and practically all matters associated with Nico seemed to piss him off quickly lately. It was best to just not reply. Nico did, however, shoot a glare at Violet that said ' _I'll deal with you later'_ , since she was probably the one who'd told Harold what he'd done. It was no secret that all of them had found out what had happened, thanks to Ivan's ability and all of their heightened senses. At least there was a possibility they didn't know all the details.

"Seriously, Nico, how many times do we have to go over this? Watching over him isn't permanent, it's just until he can gain control of his life," Harold's voice was still raised, which meant he was only angry and tired with Nico. It was something the blonde can deal with. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Harold's eyes grew dark and his voice lowered to a disappointed hiss, "I did it for you, when you first turned. Can't you do the same for him? I just want you to help him make sense of his life, is that so hard to ask?"

Nico gritted his teeth and he clung onto the broken CD harder than intended, causing one of the broken edges to cut through his skin. Somewhere from behind him, he could hear Violet suck in a sharp breath as she tried to dull the smell of blood out of her senses. She'd been a vampire for only 15 years, which was practically nothing in vampire time. Controlling her blood lust was still an issue.

Nico curled his fingers against his fist to hide the blood and finally raised his gaze, his heart racing as he made eye contact with Harold. "It is," he replied back bitterly, "Don't you dare compare him to me. I'm not pathetic and  _human_ like him," He practically spat the word out. "His life  _doesn't_ even make sense, so how are we supposed to help that little rat? He-…he doesn't even have a  _smell!"_

Harold let out a sigh. Valentine's 'smell' had been a hot topic among their little family for a while, mostly because it was a mystery. Everything in life, especially things with fluids and blood, had a stench to it – animals, plants, humans, vampires. Even the dead often had a faint stench, but the point is –  _everything_ had one. Except Valentine, it seemed. Even when bleeding, the vampires couldn't pick up a scent on the boy, and it made things horribly difficult when trying to monitor his health. No one understood it, not even Harold.

"Nico, now's not the time to discuss this. I've—"

"Oh? Oh, so when  _is_  the time to discuss 'this'?!" Nico raised his hands, making air quotes. 'This', being Valentine, of course. "Humor me, because it's been 12 years since we've let that freak in, and you still have yet to discuss 'this'!"

Harold was tired. He'd just come back from a serious business meeting with a few other local vampires, and he was in no mood to banter with the kids. This kid, specifically. "Nico, please. Not today, alright?" He wiped his forehead with the back of his head and took a moment to glance at the other teenagers in the room, frowning when he realized they'd been staring. They were just as curious about Valentine as Nico. Not knowing how else to clarify that he didn't have any further answers tonight, Harold stood up straight and brushed past them, "Clean up this mess. We'll discuss what happened tonight later on. I'm going to shower." He waved a hand dismissively over his shoulder as he walked past the doorframe, "Someone go check on Val's apartment and make sure he got home safely."

"Not it!" Three of the vampires each pressed a forefinger to their nose. Their gazes landed on the only figure in the room that wasn't touching his nose.

Having been distracted, Nico hadn't realized what had just happened until it was too late. Stupid game of nose-goes. With an irritated sigh, he tossed the broken blood-stained CD into the nearest trash bin and gathered his leather jacket from the coat hanger.

"I hate you all," he mumbled under his breath before stepping into the cold night. Before he left, he could've sworn one of them whispered something along the lines of 'please don't kill Val'.

He snorted under his breath.

* * *

"He is so stuuuuuuuuuupid," Valentine sang under his breath for the umpteenth time as he kicked another twig. "Niiiiiiiico is a…a….buttheaaaaad..." He hiccuped and kicked another twig, barely missing some innocent squirrel.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed. All he was really aware of was that this forest path was never-ending, and that he hated missing the bus. And that he was still a bit drunk, of course.

Reaching into his front pocket, Valentine's fingers rummaged around until he pulled out a small phone – one that he couldn't even remember buying. He didn't remember much these days, honestly, but that was beside the point. Clicking the phone open, Valentine squinted at the front, trying to read the time. 1:15 AM. With a soft groan, Valentine opened his contacts and decided it was time to call for a ride home. After a moment, he laughed out loud to himself and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Silly Valentine. You don't  _have_ any friends to contact. Or family for that matter.

As he made a turn in the forest path, Valentine tried to recall the events from earlier. Every time he did, however, memories of Nico sent dark chills down his spine until he decided it was too early to try and make sense of what had happened back at the party. "Such a butthead," he mumbled once more under his breath before letting his gaze drift around. He was surrounded by trees, all of which looked very identical. Hadn't the moon been shining so brightly, Valentine would've never had any light to guide him, but it's not like he knew where he was going to begin with. He had a feeling he'd passed the same sycamore tree at least 3 times by now.

His head was starting to hurt. Now was not the time to have a major hangover, but he couldn't help it.  _I'll just rest for a moment,_ Valentine told himself as he leaned himself against a thick tree. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, trying to will the pain to go away…

Before realizing it, Valentine had dozed off.

* * *

Nico didn't have to reach Valentine's apartment to figure out that something was wrong. Sure, the boy didn't have a smell which meant it was practically near impossible to track him, but Nico was a smart boy. He'd smelled the alcohol on Valentine earlier, so he knew exactly what to search for. It was disturbing to find that even with his heightened senses, Nico was unable to find any scent of alcohol at or even  _near_ the apartment Harold had set up for Valentine to live in a couple of months ago.

Though 'panic' seemed like a strong word, Nico was feeling slightly paranoid. Pushing the boy around and making him feel unwelcome a few times here and there is one thing, but losing him during nighttime was another. Harold was going to  _murder_ the blonde if he found out Valentine hadn't gotten home safely.

 _If_ he found out. If. If is good.

Besides, what harm would it do to the world if there was one less human being running around?

Nico quickly shoved that vulgar thought out of his head and ventured out to search for the bastard before the others realized something was up. Luckily, the path between Valentine's apartment and their mansion was a short one, despite the small forested area between the two. Still, Nico knew his way around the area fairly well, and his senses were picking up a faint alcohol smell. Ah, good. He'd get Valentine home in time to watch his favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

At first, Nico felt a small sensation of relief, like he'd been freed from an intense, nagging headache which he liked to call 'Valentine'. But relief quickly faded right back into wariness because he realized it was almost too quiet in the forest. He couldn't hear the boy's footsteps or even pick out a heartbeat. His brows furrowed in a small frown, not sure what it meant. Reading Valentine was so damn hard…

Agitated, disturbed and not knowing quite why, Nico quickly picked up the pace and made his way into the depth of the forest, trying his best to make use of his senses.

Suddenly, the blonde vampire froze and another emotion finally pierced through his thick walls – fear. The cold night air had carried the faintest whiff of a scent to his keen senses.

Blood.

 _Vampire_ blood.

Breaking into a run, Nico was quick to come across what he was looking for. For half a moment, the scene before him didn't register. Then it did and he faltered to a stop, almost falling as he very nearly tripped over a body on the ground. The body was surrounded by blood, a vast field of crimson seeping out across the dirt and grass, staining his shoes, filling the air with its sick, cloying scent. Nico felt himself paling as he raised a hand to his nostrils, as if that could block out the scent. So much blood…

Then, the true horror set in as he got over the first shock enough to see whose body it was he'd almost tripped over. It was some little girl's figure. A vampire girl, not much older than 8 years old.

Standing over the bleeding figure was Valentine. The black-haired boy had a blood-stained hand clasped against the curve of his neck. Nico couldn't smell Valentine's blood at all, though he could finally make out a heartbeat.

His face ashen, Valentine's ice-blue gaze settled on Nico. He was confused as to why Trinity High's most popular kid was out in the forest so late at night, but that didn't seem to be the biggest matter at hand at the moment. "Sh-..She attacked me," the words were barely whispered out loud, but Nico heard them loud and clear. He just didn't  _understand_ them. The girl was bleeding out of her ears, mouth, eyes…all evidence pointed to the fact that Valentine had somehow attacked  _her,_ not the other way around. "I…I didn't…know wh-what to do….her teeth…her teeth…sharp…" Valentine's whispers were turning into a strained wheezing as his back suddenly fell against the tree behind him. The hand against his neck slightly slipped, revealing two small puncture wounds.

Despite being dazed and confused, Nico was quick. He could see the other male drifting but before Valentine could pass out into the pool of blood, Nico lurched forward with a scowl and caught him.

"What a pain in the ass," Nico muttered darkly under his breath.


	5. Mermaid

**Chapter 4 – Mermaid**

Arielle felt like vomiting. She'd been the one to open the door when a pale Nico dragged in a very unconscious Valentine.

"Harold is going to kill you." She repeated for the seventh time in the past five minutes. And for the seventh time that night, Nico didn't reply. He didn't have to, he already knew he was dead meat. Typically, everyone in the mansion had been quick to assume that Nico was the one who'd caused a scene and had gotten blood all over Valentine, and Nico said nothing to deny those assumptions. It was better to remain quiet until Harold came in. But Nico didn't feel like waiting that long. He was covered in blood from clinging onto Valentine and his arms felt strained from having to drag the stupid boy back to the mansion, despite having heightened strength. It had been a long night.

Nico had abandoned Valentine's body in front of the door once he'd arrived, not even bothering to place him on the couch. Why bother? He was unconscious. He didn't need to be comfortable. Snorting at the thought, Nico stepped around the body and made his way to his bedroom, knowing he only had a few minutes before someone called Harold over. Nico didn't care. He was too tired, too confused. He'd had enough of that stupid, wretched human boy for one night.

It only took Nico a moment to peel out of his stained clothes and step under the hot shower water. Once he was sure the stench of the girl's blood had left his body, Nico wrapped his hips with a large towel and stepped out of the bathroom and—

Nico could barely register what happened until he felt a sting against his right cheek. His emerald green eyes flared in annoyance at Harold, who still had his hand raised, ready to throw another slap. Before the elder vampire could land another one, Nico raised his hand and grabbed Harold's wrist, "I didn't do it," He hissed between gritted teeth, though it didn't soften Harold's murderous glare for a single moment.

Slowly, Nico released Harold's wrist. Perhaps that's why he was still glari—

His left cheek began to sting. Another slap.

"For fuck's sake, I already said I didn't do it! Some vampire girl did it, but something must've killed her because she bled to death or  _something,_ but it wasn't me." Something in Nico's eyes must have told Harold that he was telling the truth, because after a moment, Harold took a step back. His eyes never left the blonde boy's flushed face, though.

After a moment of silence, Nico awkwardly stepped past Harold and reached for a new black shirt. Slipping it on, he poked his head out of the hole before finally asking, "Is he going to be alright? Has he…turned yet?" Nico asked, carefully avoiding Harold's gaze.

It was just the obvious question. Valentine had been fed vampire blood before to speed up his healing, and now that he was bitten by a vampire, it was clear he'd be turned within a few hours. Only the exchange of blood could turn a human into a vampire. That, and well…Valentine had to die. But that was just a simple detail, one that Nico didn't mind helping out in.

It was so obvious, yet….why did Harold look so confused? "Turn? Why would he turn?"

Nico's face fell and he paled once again. Had Harold not seen Valentine yet? Was this some sort of joke? Did he have to spell it out for the old guy!? "Well, the bite…on his neck?" Nico raised a hand to his own neck to demonstrate where it was, "The vampire girl must've bit him or something. It's not like he bit himself," Nico snorted, a dimple appearing across his features despite trying hard to hide his smirk. Harold didn't seem to be in the mood for jokes.

"Nico, I'm too tired to deal with your games right now. Valentine doesn't have a scratch on him, go see for yourself," Harold said, raising an eyebrow at the blonde, "I just can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that you let Valentine leave  _drunk._ I don't even want to know whose blood it is that's all over him. I'm guessing you decided to have a midnight snack on the way back? I mean, that's fine, but don't drag the poor kid along…"

Midnight snack? No scratches?  _Games?_

Nico would've punched the vampire if he hadn't been so much older than him. Did Harold think Nico was the one who killed the girl? That Valentine had just been a  _witness?!_ Boy, did he have it all wrong. "Look, I'll show you the stupid bite, alright?" Before Harold could protest, Nico grabbed a pair of black skinny jeans and escaped to the bathroom for a moment to put them on. Once he was out, he hurried out of his bedroom with Harold close behind.

Someone had cleaned Valentine up and dressed him in a brand new white shirt and black shorts. The boy was laying against the soft red couch, his head to the side. As the blonde neared the couch, Nico began to quickly process the fact that those clothes weren't  _brand new,_ they were  _his._ Those bastards. Nico's eyes glazed over to Valentine's neck, though there was no sign of the puncture wounds from earlier. Frowning, Nico reached over and grabbed a fistful of the boy's hair and yanked his head to the other side. His throat was squeaky clean.

Nico tried to swallow around the lump forming in his throat. He knew what he saw back there. He  _saw_ the marks, clear as ever. So why…

"Mmmph…Mom…sorry….worthless…" The words were barely audible as they slipped out of Valentine's mouth, though they were loud enough for the others in the room to hear. They all knew of Valentine's 'nightmares', which were often just flashbacks of memories of his past. Healing over time hadn't been one hundred percent effective, but at least Valentine would wake up with no memories of his nightmares. Still. It hurt the other vampires to watch, at times.

Except Nico. The blonde released Valentine's hair and proceeded to slap him across the face, hard. The other vampires were quick to protest, but their bantering died when the frail boy on the couch slowly sat up, a single cheek pink from Nico's rude awakening. No pun intended.

It took Valentine a moment to take in the unfamiliar surroundings, the unfamiliar faces, the…

"Mr. Brigg?" Valentine finally croaked out, his unsteady gaze on Harold. What the hell was his teacher doing here?!

* * *

"I don't think I can take this anymore, my old friend," Vincent said, his head falling onto the palm of his hand. "It's been 12 years…how has my son not been found? Is it possible that the Elders have found him and kept quiet about it? The experiments they'd run on the poor child…"

Fitch couldn't keep the sympathy out of his own eyes as he stared at Vincent. He could only imagine the torment his friend was going through, the loss of his only child… A very special one, at that. Fitch couldn't help but wonder if this was, maybe, for the best. "Don't let your thoughts drift into such darkness, Vince. Perhaps he's just well-hidden among the human world. Perhaps a family found him the day Linda—" Fitch paused as Vincent suddenly tensed, "—abandoned him. It's a very high possibility."

"Yes, but… is it typical for half-bloods to not carry a smell? The boy must be in his late teen years by now, yet even if he was…. _dead,_ I'd be able to locate him," Vincent's eyes fell, his thoughts ripping apart at his aching heart.

Fitch chuckled bitterly, "Dearest friend, no one knows what is 'typical' of a half-blood. Please try not to fret any further on this matter, I'm sure one of the servants will—"

"SIR! Sir! Sir!" A dark-haired messenger boy suddenly burst into the double doors of the ancient mansion. "Sir, I have…a message…" The boy wheezed, coming to a halt once he was only a few feet away from the two seemingly middle-aged vampires. Though they appeared to be in their early 30's, they were most definitely a few centuries old. It was no comparison, really, to the thousand-year old Elders.

The boy bent his knees and placed his hands on them as he tried to catch his breath. It was clear he'd traveled a distance, but the two men were in no condition to be patient.

"Speak, boy, what is it?" Fitch ushered the boy, who suddenly took a step backward as he realized whom it was he was facing. The boy had to peel his gaze away from Fitch's glare to try and concentrate on the message he needed to deliver.

"There's word that a blood-deprived vampire passed away in the woods just a few hours ago," the boy finally spoke, his words crystal clear. Vincent, ever so somber, did not take interest in this news. He stood up and drifted away from Fitch's side, not in the mood for more saddening news. His heart could only take so much.

"So what?" Fitch continued, his eyes distracted by Vincent's departure. His poor friend…

"Sir… the vampire didn't have a single mark on her skin. No punctures, no wounds. She…She was drowning in a pool of her own blood. She was found completely drained. "

This seemed to catch both vampires' attention.

* * *

"I already told you, I don't remember," Valentine said with a sigh, wishing he could get away from all this attention. How many times were these guys going to ask if he'd been attacked by some little girl? Even if he was, Valentine was definitely certain he could defend himself against a child.

More importantly, why would no one explain what the hell he was doing in Violet's house!? And what…what the hell was Mr. Brigg doing here!? And who…whose clothes are  _these?_ They smelled nice. Mm, lavender.

"Valentine, answer the question," Violet's voice pulled Valentine back into reality, and he realized he'd completely missed whatever it was she'd asked. Thankfully, his blank stare seemed to be understood, because she repeated whatever it was she wanted to ask. "What happened on your way back home?"

Valentine squinted, his head refusing to give him any details past the party. The party….Valentine's gaze flashed to Nico and was quickly lowered when he realized Nico was staring right back. His cheeks reddened in frustration, and he shook his head to distract the others from noticing the blush, "I…I don't remember, alright? One minute I'm heading into the forest, the next I'm here, with my science teacher and some kids from school. Tell me again, what is Mr. Brigg doing here?" Valentine's confused gaze fluttered back to Harold, who seemed to be deep in thought.

Light fingertips brushed against the back of Valentine's hand and he cringed, quickly yanking his hand away from the contact. "Val…Haro-…err, Mr. Brigg…he's…he's our guardian," The girl spoke up. What was her name again? Valentine tried to sift through his vague memories. Arietty? Ariene? Arielle? Oh, yeah. Arielle. Like that one mermaid. It's funny, since Arielle had a strange reddish tinge to her hair…

"He's lying."

That annoying voice snapped Valentine out of his strayed thoughts.

"Oh yeah?" Valentine glowered at Nico, unable to hide his irritation. He still remembered the blonde's words, and they echoed once more through his aching mind, sending chills down his spine.

' _Your life is practically worthless, and I can't think of a single reason why I should keep you alive…If you utter a single word about what happened here today, I will know. So be a good little bitch and keep your mouth shut.'_

"Yeah," Nico replied back just as bitterly, his emerald green eyes burning into Valentine's skull. It was then that Valentine realized Nico wasn't even wearing his glasses. They were probably just for fashion. Valentine wouldn't be surprised.

"Then do tell me what happened, wise one," Valentine replied back without thinking. He definitely wasn't going to make it to the top of the food—err, social chain now.

Nico stood up from the armchair he'd taken over. He slowly made his way over to Valentine's couch and glared the other boy down, "You went into the forest, and some girl attacked you. She bit your neck, and then…."

Valentine raised an eyebrow, waiting. "And then…?"

"Forget it," Nico mumbled, suddenly recoiling. He couldn't recall finding any marks on the girl. Just…blood. Lots of it. How the hell had she been killed? The only thing that could kill a vampire was to destroy its heart or to expose it to hours of sunlight.

The others in the room seemed to share this very same confusion. Valentine was the first to break the silence.

"Wait. Did you say she  _bit_ me?"

Nico's eyes slightly widened, his heart fluttering in hope. Did Valentine finally remember…? "Yeah. On your neck," he said, reaching over to tap the side of Valentine's neck.

Valentine flinched away before Nico could lay a finger on him. Instead, he placed his own hand against the side of his neck, feeling around his skin. Nothing. Was this some sort of joke? Some silly prank to show the school later?

"Look, it's already late, and there's school tomorrow. Sorry for passing out, but I'm fine now," he wasn't sure they even cared, "I'll, um, return these clothes tomorrow." He stood up quickly to leave, and nearly fell back down. He was still a bit dizzy. Catching himself quickly, he forced a weak smile and waited for Nico to step away so he could pass, but the blonde didn't budge.

"The bite marks were there. Ask Arielle, she's the one who opened the door for us, she saw the—"

Everyone's eyes were now on Arielle, the auburn-haired girl. Confusion was all over her face, and it was evident at that moment that she had no idea what the hell Nico was even talking about, "Nico," She said, her voice gentle as she cut him off, "I didn't see any bite marks…"

Somewhere from another room, another voice spoke up, breaking the tension in the room "Man, these took  _forever_ to bake. Good thing I-…aw….you're leaving, already?" a boy with brown curls and sea-green eyes pouted in Valentine's direction. It was one of those kids that sat with Nico and Violet. Jeeze, did they  _all_ live together? So weird.

Valentine's eyes glanced over at the pan the boy was holding. Whatever was on it looked like charcoal, and Valentine tried hard to suppress a frown, "I, uh, yeah. Thanks for the…uh…brownies?"

Ivan looked hurt for a moment. "Cookies," He corrected flatly before mumbling something under his breath and stomping back into the kitchen. Valentine could've sworn his mumbles were along the lines of 'ungrateful human'.

Once Ivan departed, the tension seemed thicker than ever before. Arielle and Harold seemed to be studying Nico quietly, while Violet was trying to give Valentine a reassuring smile. Valentine's eyes remained on the blonde boy, who appeared…stressed.

Nico's thoughts ate away at his brain. Was he the only one who'd seen the bite marks? Had it been his imagination? He's not one to hallucinate, but it  _was_ dark out, and all that blood must have messed with his senses…

Deciding to drop the subject, Nico ran a hand through his dirty-blonde hair and let out a frustrated sigh, feeling completely hopeless. "Alright, whatever, forget it. I guess there's no bite mark. Stupid vamp-…err, girl…must've internally bled or something," Nico mumbled, quickly correcting himself. No one was allowed to reveal the truth about vampires existing, especially not to Valentine. They only kept the boy around to make sure he was completely healed, he didn't need to know any details of their lifestyle. Of their  _life._

Every vampire in the room knew that vampires couldn't 'internally bleed', however, which is why Valentine didn't understand why the hell everyone was still so tense. "Well, uh, bye," He finally spoke out loud, this time successfully walking around Nico without being blocked. The blonde seemed too occupied with deep thoughts to notice, "Wouldn't want to stick around too long,  _uninvited,"_ Valentine mumbled bitterly under his breath, still upset over what Nico had done at the party.

Before he could get too far, Mr. Brigg – or Harold, or  _whoever_ the hell he was – suddenly stood up, "Absolutely not!" He walked over to the confused Valentine and placed a hand against his back. Valentine did his best not to flinch. Everyone else in the room seemed to be just as confused as Valentine, it seemed. "It's far too late to head out now, I insist you spend the night. I'll be more than happy to make sure you get to school on time tomorrow, if you're certain you aren't hurt."

Valentine was absolutely certain he wasn't hurt, except for the mild headache that kept thumping away at his temples. He was also absolutely certain he didn't want to spend the night where his freaking  _teacher_ and some psycho blonde lived. "Mr. Brigg, I'm fine. I know the way home from here, and—…and my mom will worry if I'm not there in the morning." A lie. Valentine lived on his own, but it's not like these guys knew that, right?

Somewhere in the back of the room, Violet's gaze lowered to her feet and Arielle shifted uncomfortably. Nico rolled his eyes, though he felt some relief. Perhaps now, Harold would stop insisting the boy stayed…

"That's fine, I'll make sure to call her first thing in the morning. Please, it's late, and there is plenty of room here," Harold's eyes narrowed. Valentine knew he wasn't going to budge any time soon, and he had a feeling his teacher was right. The clock on the wall across from where he was standing read 3:20 AM, and Valentine honestly didn't feel like trying to find his way back home. Still, was this really okay?

Nico seemed to have read Valentine's hesitation. Oh hell no, there was no way his bastard was staying the night… "Plenty of room? There's five bedrooms, and last I checked…" He made a show of counting each person on his fingers, " There's five of  _us._ Sorry, dude, you'll just have to—"

"—Share with you." Harold finished Nico's sentence before the blonde could get colorful with his attitude.

Both boys seemed to share the same dislike for one another, because they simultaneously dropped their jaws and shouted the same thing, "What?!"

"Well, I can't let you stay with the girls. And Ivan…" Harold peered at the kitchen before frowning. "Ivan would just keep him up. He needs his rest, and the couches aren't exactly 5-star sleep material," Harold explained, his face straight.

Valentine nearly choked. "Look, it's no biggie, I can find my way back within twenty minutes, there's no need for—"

"Yeah, he's a big kid, he'll manage. It's not like he's scared of the dark, are you, little Vally-Wally?" Nico smirked, a dimple appearing.

"No," Valentine glowered back at the blonde, not understanding what the hell this kid's problem is. Screw his nickname. Screw his sass. Screw his little dimple, that made him look so innocent when in reality, he was a devil in disguise…

"Perfect! Then that settles it!" Nico placed a hand against Valentine's back and pushed the boy toward the front door, ushering him out.

"ENOUGH!" Harold's voice boomed through the large house. Both boys froze in their tracks, and Nico slowly lowered his hand from Valentine's back. Valentine turned to face his science teacher, but Nico kept his glare on the wall, "Valentine, you're free to share with Nicholas." Somewhere from behind Valentine, Nico tensed. He hated being called that. Harold knew that. He  _knew._

Turning around, Nico stepped forward and placed his face just a few inches from Harold's tired one. "I did  _not_ sign up for any of this. You said our job was to  _protect,_ but this… _this_ is going too far. You  _owe_ me." Without another word, Nico shoved past them and started making his way to the top of staircase.

Valentine stood awkwardly in place, suddenly not feeling very welcome. He felt somewhat like a burden, and nothing had made sense that night. He was just so tired, the events of the night having drained him completely. He didn't want to think any more, didn't want to think about who it was Nico had to protect….didn't want to think about how Mr. Brigg came to be their guardian…he just didn't want to think.

Before Valentine could make one last attempt at protesting his stay, a voice from the staircase caught his attention. Nico had only climbed half the staircase, and he was now turned to face them, "Well, are you coming or not?" His green eyes were on Valentine, his voice was like venom.

It took Valentine a moment to register what Nico was saying, and he finally managed to stutter out a reply without peeing himself. "I, uh..um, yeah." He looked once more at Harold, as if to get his permission for….what was it that he needed permission for, again? Harold merely gave the boy a nod, and Valentine followed Nico upstairs. The blonde didn't bother to wait for him, he continued on to his bedroom.

Once the two boys had disappeared, Harold let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, "Nico is being too difficult, I just don't understand…" He met gazes with the other vampires in the room, "Do you think they will be alright up there?"

Ivan, still too occupied by whatever he was doing in the kitchen, didn't bother to reply. Violet rolled her eyes and nodded. She was the closest to Nico, and she could swear on her life that he was harmless. Then again, she was dead, so there wasn't exactly much to bet on.

Arielle was chewing her lower lip nervously. Something like a blush appeared across her cheeks, but she eventually nodded. Somewhere, deep in her heart, she wished that it was  _her_ sharing a room with Nico.


	6. Lavender

**Chapter 5 – Lavender**

Nico's room was an absolute contrast to his personality.

For one, it smelled like lavender. It was a familiar scent, though Valentine couldn't remember why. But that's not the point.

For someone who appeared all Mr. Goody-two-shoes at school, Nico's room was an absolute mess. His closet was open and clothes flooded out left and right. His bed seemed to act like a second closet, considering how many stray articles of clothing were on it. Loose sheets of paper along with various books were tossed along the sides of the room, and every corner of the room was inhabited by some sort of sports item. Balls, baseball bats, rackets…. Jeeze, did this kid play  _every_ sport? The only thing that seemed to be in place were the vinyl records that were hanging against one wall, which was painted black. In fact,  _all_ the walls were painted black.

So much for assuming Nico was some hipster kid. If anything, he was probably some depressing, emo—

"Don't touch anything." Nico's venomous tone cut through Valentine's thoughts, and the blue-eyed boy let out a soft sigh. This was going to be a long night.

Valentine was absolutely content with sleeping on the floor. Unfortunately, with the room being such a mess, how the  _hell_ was he supposed to clear up any space to sleep in, if he couldn't touch anything? Valentine wasn't sure if it was safe to talk to Nico just yet, so he stood awkwardly in the cleanest corner he could find – which happened to be a corner next to a door leading to the bathroom - and watched as Nico shuffled his items around. In one big hug, Nico had collected all his clothes from his bed and had tossed them into the closet. Now that it was cleaned out, Valentine could clearly see that Nico owned a goddamn king-sized bed. Sure, the room was large enough to be a master bedroom, but did he need such a large bed?

Smart  _and_ rich. No wonder all the girls chased him. Where did all this money come from anyway? If Brigg really was their guardian, then how the hell were they living in a place like this with just a lousy teacher salary?

"Um…Nico, I..I don't think there's any—"

"Shut up," Nico snapped as he reached for a pair of light blue pajama pants. Valentine squinted at the pants, only to discover that Tweety Bird was printed all over them. He stifled a laugh, but he didn't have to try too hard. His laugh turned into a choking fit as Nico suddenly unzipped his pants and slid out of them.

Valentine quickly pretended to be occupied with the tennis racket behind him. For some reason, he wasn't sure how to react when people undressed in front of him. He couldn't recall ever seeing anyone do it…he couldn't recall  _anything,_ really. He really needed to work on his memories.

"Faggot," Nico mumbled under his breath as he slipped his Tweety-printed pajama pants on. Valentine ignored the remark and broke the staring contest he'd entered with the tennis racket. Before Valentine could make another attempt to speak to the other boy, the light suddenly went out and the room was pitch black. Valentine heard Nico flop onto the bed, leaving the other boy to just…stand there.

A solid minute passed before Valentine realized Nico wasn't going to help him settle down somewhere to sleep. Somehow, that didn't surprise him.

Trying to stay as quiet as possible, Valentine eventually lowered himself against the wall of an empty corner until he was on the ground. With his back against the wall, Valentine raised his knees up against his chest and wrapped his arms around his bare legs. He wasn't sure who, but someone had dressed him in shorts and now it was freaking cold…

Silence fell hard, and neither boy broke it. Valentine closed his eyes and tried his best to relax against the hard wall, but he didn't think sleep would ever come. It had been such a long, confusing night…

Nico heard Valentine's breathing even out in slumber after a while. He lay still in the dark, listening to the other boy breathe. The walls of every room in the mansion were intentionally sound proofed to keep the vampires from driving each other crazy with their sensitive hearing, as well as to afford them privacy, but he could still hear the faint sounds of movement and the distant murmur of indistinguishable voices.

They seemed remote, somehow. Distant.

Nico's eyes were open in the darkness. Vampires needed sleep as much as any other human, though most preferred to do it in daylight to prevent the annoying sunlight, but Nico didn't have much of a choice – he had school in the morning. Contrary to popular belief, sunlight wouldn't hurt him or make him burst into dust or whatever, it'd just make him feel tired and drained. Too much exposure was the real danger.

But right now, Nico couldn't sleep a wink. Not with that… _thing_ sitting over there. Nico could hear Valentine's teeth slightly chattering. The boy was cold. Rolling his eyes, Nico decided to ignore it.  _He'll live,_ he told himself bitterly. After a few silent moments, his thoughts drifted back to the day's earlier events…

The blood, the bite mark….the vampire girl… None of it made sense. He  _knew_ what he'd seen back there. The girl had been completely unharmed, except for the blood seeping out of her facial orifices….but what the hell would cause that? And how the hell did the puncture wounds of a vampire's bite disappear from that bastard's neck? It's not like the boy could heal…Even if he could, was it possible to heal a vampire's bite?

Nico found himself sitting up in bed.  _Don't be ridiculous,_ he told himself.  _There's no way he can heal, he's a stupid human._ Even if he could heal, that still didn't explain what happened to the girl… Someone else must have been involved. It was the only other explanation, right?  _Right?_ Right.

Still, Nico couldn't help himself. He was careful not to make any noise as he slipped out of his bed and made his way around whatever floor his bare feet could find – which was hard, considering he hadn't cleaned his room in months. He managed, anyway, using his heightened visual senses to find the corner Valentine managed to make a bed out of.

Nico bent down in front of the other boy and peered at him with a certain dislike. Valentine's arms were hugging his legs against his chest tightly, with his face against his knees. Reaching over, Nico ran his fingers through Valentine's hair and gently yanked the boy's head up. Nico froze, tensing, when Valentine groaned softly, breathlessly. Nico could feel his own heartbeat racing for some unknown reason as he set Valentine's head against the wall.

Vampires didn't really need a heartbeat. They could stop it whenever they pleased, but they could never speed it up. Some vampires chose to show their heartbeat to make themselves fit in the human world, others just decided against it. Nico never really had a reason to hide his heartbeat, but now that it seemed like his heart was trying to jump out, he quickly willed it to shut off.

The silence was a bliss.

Nico took a good look at the sleeping face in front of him. He'd seen it a billion times before, but this time it was different. This time, there was a risk he'd wake the boy up…it wasn't like all those times Nico had snuck into Valentine's room when he was in a coma. Yet somehow, it didn't feel so different. He could make out Valentine's racing heartbeat, and he immediately knew the boy was having a small nightmare. But whatever, he'll survive. It's just one stupid nightmare. He just wished he could turn off this idiot's heartbeat, too, it was so damn loud…

Nico forgot all about it when his gaze caught on Valentine. For a moment, the vampire was mesmerized by the heart-stopping expression on Valentine's smooth features. Dark head tipped back, flushed lips lightly parted, eyes closed and breath coming rapidly as his nightmares intensified… It was like looking at beauty and pain all at once, and—

Ugh, seriously. Beauty?

Identifying guys as attractive wasn't new to Nico, but there was no way he'd admit Valentine was appealing, even though he is. All vampires were mesmerizing considering their pale complexion and dark features, but Valentine was just a stupid human who seemed to have gotten some lucky genes. He was just as pale as a vampire, his eyes were just as deep and intense, yet….there was life in him. Nico couldn't describe it, and he didn't want to think about it anymore. He'd only gotten out of bed to…

Nico blinked, not sure why he'd even gotten out of bed. He'd had enough of this kid for one day, yet here he was, checking him out in his sleep. Fantastic. He started to push himself onto his feet, but paused as Valentine's head suddenly fell to one side, revealing his bare neck.

Nico swallowed hard. It was strange the boy had no smell, and it made Nico wonder how exactly the boy's blood would taste….Usually, smells gave off a hint regarding how sweet someone's blood would be, but Valentine….

Reaching down, Nico ran two fingers against Valentine's neck, quickly finding a thick vein. Under his fingertips, Nico could feel every hammering pulse of Valentine's heart, and it made him shudder. He was so tempted…So tempted to sink his fangs into that vein, but…

But Harold would  _shred_ him to pieces. Their guardian had made it very clear that Valentine's blood was off-limits. Considering the boy didn't have any smell, it was extremely easy to keep their fangs off him, but now Valentine was so close, his neck felt so warm…

 _He'll heal anyway, right? I know I saw those bite marks…_ Nico lowered his fingers from Valentine's vein and leaned close, his lips parting as he allowed his fangs to slide out.  _It wasn't a hallucination, the only explanation was that he healed…or someone else healed him…. It doesn't matter, one little sip won't hurt anyone…No one has to find out….No one will find out anyway because he's scentless.. And Harold….Harold….screw Harold._

Nico placed his hands against Valentine's shoulders and held him in place just in case the boy woke up. Nico was experienced, but it's not like he went around every day, biting the neck of the sleeping.

Trembling lips and a hot, questing tongue found the side of Valentine's neck, nibbling, but not biting as Nico softened the area. A vampire's bite wasn't exactly a piece of cake, but it didn't have to be painful either. Heat swelled through him, unbidden but unstoppable, pounding in his veins and pooling in his brain as hunger clouded his senses. When he was certain the bite wouldn't hurt any more than a pinch, Nico paused over Valentine's bite area, stopping to flick it with his tongue before he breathed on it hotly. That was all…just  _breathed_ on it and Nico felt Valentine's body flood with heat. Still, the boy didn't stir.

A faint smile ghosted across Nico's elegant lips. Something like amusement and arousal knotted in Nico's chest when he felt heat radiating from the body in front of him.  _Let's see you hide this bite, you bastard…_

Without wasting any more time, Nico sank the tip of one fang into Valentine's reddened neck, his fingers slightly tightening around Valentine's shoulders when the boy made a whimpering sound. Nico watched in amusement and anticipation as a thin line of crimson trailed down the strong curve of muscle that led from Valentine's shoulder to his ear.

It was extremely upsetting that the blood had no scent to it, but Nico was too far gone to care now. The vampire's glowing emerald eyes were full of heat, but they looked achingly lost as he leaned in and let the tip of the crimson line land on his tongue. Slowly, he traced his tongue against the line of leaking blood until the tip of his tongue was pressed against the small hole his fang had created.

Nico shuddered. His blood….Valentine's blood was insanely too sweet. Nico's fingers curled into a fist against the other's shoulder, unable to hide his irritation. How was it that Valentine carried no scent, when he tasted so damn  _sweet?_ It was incredibly intoxicating. How good it felt coursing through Nico's system, making him feel like he could take on the world. Nico hadn't expected it to feel this good – he didn't  _want_ it to feel this good.

Nico's eyes fluttered closed, a faint rush of lightheadedness beginning to blossom. Weird. That's never happened before. Slowly, he slid his tongue back into his mouth and gazed at the small puncture wound, which was too small to allow any more blood to leak out. Of course, that was not a problem Nico couldn't fix, but…

Something didn't sit right in his stomach. Something was so, so very wrong, though all Nico could think about was where he wanted his next bite to be. There was no way a drop of blood –  _this_ blood – could be satisfying, he needed more. He needed…

"N-…Nico?" Valentine's hushed whisper was full of desperation and confusion, but Nico wouldn't have it. Ah, the boy had woken up… There goes all his fun.

"Shh…" Nico murmured without looking up and Valentine suddenly found that he was unable to speak, his vocal cords paralyzed. Shock and alarm speared through him. Nico had made him promise not to say anything before, but this was different….It was almost as if Nico had taken his voice away from him. Hell, he hadn't even known that the blonde  _could._

Helpless and voiceless, Valentine's gaze landed on Nico. The boy's normally emerald green eyes were glowing and seemed more intense than before. Valentine felt an inexplicable ball of panic well up inside him, and his emotions became a tumbled blur that he couldn't even begin to comprehend. Why was his body so damn warm? Why was his neck…why did his neck hurt?

"Is…Is that blood on your lips…?" Valentine finally managed to croak out loud, his gaze locked on Nico's lips, where he could make out something red and glimmering in the dark. Valentine reached over with a finger as if  _feeling_ the liquid would confirm that it wasn't actually blood, but a hand on his wrist stopped him.

Instead of telling Valentine to shut up again, Nico raised an eyebrow in amusement as his tongue traced his own lower lip to lick up the stray drop of blood, stirring more confusion into the other boy.

The hand around Valentine's wrist tightened. " _Mine._ " The growl was almost in a whisper, but it strangely shot straight to Valentine's gut, making him stare at Nico in uncertain surprise. What was his? The blood? Nico must have read his thoughts, because he added, "You know…if you had told me you tasted  _this_  good, I would've tried to play a bit nicer."

Valentine felt his stomach lurch, but this time with heat rather than queasiness as he looked at Nico. Taste? What the hell was that supposed to—

Nico's grip on Valentine's wrist suddenly loosened but before Valentine could release a sigh of relief, the blonde in front of him suddenly swung to the side and hurled. Nico tried to swallow his nausea with difficulty, drawing deep, shuddering breaths in an attempt to keep his stomach calm, but his whole body was trembling and his insides were burning.

He knew it.

Something was wrong.


	7. Venom

**Chapter 6 - Venom**

Valentine didn't know how long he'd been screaming.

Someone was soothing him, holding his head against a warm chest, nevermind the fact that Valentine was soiling their clothes with his tears. "Shh…shh…." The voice soothed, and Valentine vaguely connected it to Violet. "Don't worry, he'll be okay. This isn't your fault," She rubbed his back comfortingly, tipping her cheek to the top of his head, "None of this is your fault…" Her words were tender, though Valentine was aware enough to sense the hesitation in them.

It was his fault.

Valentine gazed at the boy laid out flat on his back. He couldn't even recall who had placed Nico on his bed, or when the others had even burst into the room. Nico was deathly pale and barely conscious, although his eyes were slightly open. He was aware enough to turn dull, glazed eyes towards Valentine, however, and managed to put a faint hint of dislike into the glare. But it was so weak, it was sadly pathetic.

Nico was in pain – blind, consuming, nerve-shredding pain. His tongue burned, his stomach felt like it was eating itself away, and his blood…god, he felt like his own blood was boiling up inside him. Nobody knew what was wrong, so no one dared give him any medication in case it sent him into shock. The pain was so intense, however, so horribly unbearable that right now, Nico just wanted death to come swiftly. Not even his  _first_ death had felt this bad…and certainly, this death would be much more permanent. He just wished he could do it in peace, without having that stupid human staring down at him like he was some pathetic, fragile thing. What, he couldn't even die in peace without this guy hovering around? He glared at Valentine as much as he was able. Dying or no, he looked ready to try and rip Valentine's throat out.

Valentine was trembling in Violet's arm. To the side, Ivan was busy placing a bandage around the shaking boy's neck, which was still red and punctured from Nico's earlier invasion.

Nico made a soft, choked sound that sounded something like 'I hate you' but it was hard to tell. Just that effort was hideously painful and Nico choked, coughing, a racking wheeze rattling through his aching lungs and throat. He groaned in agony, his blonde head tipping back on a heap of pillows, his features twisting in torture. Beside him, Arielle was holding his hand tightly, her face easily revealing her concern. Her hand felt so warm, but did she have to hold on so goddamn tightly?

Harold remained quiet, focused, as he pressed a finger against the skin under Nico's left eye and examined the boy's eyeball. It was bloodshot, just as the right eye was. He'd done so many examinations, but for  _what?_ Vampires weren't supposed to get sick like this, so did Harold even know what to look for?

Frowning, Harold reached down and grabbed the hem of Nico's shirt, shoving his shirt upwards with no warning. What the hell…? Nico moaned in complaint as he pulled away from Arielle's grip, his hands battling weakly at Harold's hands, trying to push the other vampire away. God, this guy was checking him out as he lay here dying? Pervert.

Arielle tried her best not to stare too hard at Nico's tone body, though she couldn't keep her gaze from landing on his faint 6-pack. A small blush rose to her cheeks and she quickly stood up, giving Harold more room.

Harold patiently took hold of Nico's arms, avoiding holding them too tightly, and pinned them easily at the boy's sides. His gaze flew back to the blonde's abdomen, his chest, his sides… Harold's gaze landed on a small purple bruise-like patch of flesh that was no bigger than the size of a penny. It was just under Nico's left ribcage, but that's not what caught his attention. The colored area seemed to be moving,  _travelling,_ and—

Harold suddenly sat up, his expression full of stress, "Get Valentine out of this room," He said, his voice soft. Nico attempted something like a smirk, but it only hurt.

"V.I.P….only," Nico managed to mutter out at Valentine, who was practically being dragged out by Violet and Ivan, with Arielle following closely behind. The boy didn't have any strength to stand on his own two legs.

Once Valentine was out, Nico glanced at Harold curiously and started to question the man as to why Valentine suddenly needed to go. Before he could form the words, Nico was suddenly pushed down with iron strength that Nico could not hope to match. Harold's eyes flickered darkly for a moment, "I told you his blood's off-limits." They both knew Valentine's blood was off-limits, but only because he was a human they intended on keeping alive. Neither realized his blood was so off-limits, it  _killed._ Still, was Harold really about to give Nico a lecture about following rules?

"I didn't even…drink—" Before Nico could explain that he'd barely consumed a couple drops of Valentine's blood, Harold had leaned forward and sank his teeth into the boy's side, just where the patch of colored flesh was.

Nico screamed.

It was like before, when Nico had first turned. He'd cause so much trouble and rebel so often, giving Harold no choice but to bite the boy and show him who the boss was. Those bites hadn't been gentle, and neither was this. Harold still had no intention of easing into a bite just as Nico had done with Valentine. It was all blunt and force with Harold, though Nico couldn't even understand why he was the one getting bit. Sure, he'd crossed the line tonight, but...did he deserve to die  _that_ much?

Nico's body tightened in pain and his head twisted to one side as he half groaned, half growled against pillow, his own fangs sliding out in defense. Harold slid his teeth out and bit the flesh again, and again, the bites crisscrossing and causing blood to well and seep freely from multiple puncture points. It filled Harold's mouth, and he was quick to spit it out on a small bowl he found lying among Nico's messy heaps of clothes. This made Nico even more confused, but he was in no condition to argue or try to yank Harold away.

Nico groaned again, sharply, his eyes snapping open and widening slightly at the vicious way Harold was mauling his side. The pain of bite upon bite was breath-taking. The skin, made naturally sensitive by the first bite, screamed sensation and agony at each successive penetration and the heightened awareness of feeling it brought. Nico shuddered, his fingers tightening painfully in the bedsheets around him. Too absorbed in the pain of the bites, Nico wasn't aware that the sensation of his own blood boiling had begun to die down.

Minutes passed. It took more effort than Harold would have liked to admit, but he eventually pulled away from Nico, his lips stained with the boy's blood. Harold stared at the raw, bloody mess he'd made of Nico's side once more before standing up to head to the bathroom, where he quickly rinsed his mouth with cold water, making sure not to swallow a drop of Nico's blood. He wasn't sure if his plan would work, but it was the only idea he had. That strange purple patch of flesh…it hadn't been normal. It was like a poison, and had it travelled to Nico's heart or spread anywhere else, the boy would've been gone. By sucking it out and removing it from Nico's body, Harold could only hope that the boy would regain his strength soon.

Once he was certain his mouth was cleaned out, Harold returned to Nico's bedside. Sometime in the midst of the flesh-tearing, the young vampire had fallen unconscious, but Harold didn't feel alarmed. Judging by the steady rise of Nico's body, he knew his breathing had returned to normal, and that all traces of the poison had been removed.

"Stupid child…" Harold mumbled under his breath as he settled down beside Nico. "It would be so inconvenient for you to die…" The faint wry and amused thought traveled through his spinning, sleep-deprived brain. Harold raised a wrist to his own mouth and bit down, hard, until drops of blood began to flow freely. He knew vampire blood would help to heal all the broken flesh. Placing his bleeding wrist against Nico's lips, he watched as the boy struggled back to consciousness.

Nico was cripplingly hungry – no thanks to Harold – but he almost felt too weak to swallow the blood that was being so generously offered. The blood was nowhere as sweet as Valentine's had been, but at least it wasn't deadly.

Nico would've laughed at that thought, except he would've probably choked on Harold's blood, and that would definitely go against Harold's blood being non-fatal.

* * *

"Do I  _have_  to go to school?" Ivan pouted, drawing a glare from Nico. Hours had passed since Nico had bitten Valentine, yet he still hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep. He was tired, his side felt sore, and he was hungry. He didn't want to deal with Ivan's irritating complaints.

"Well,  _duh._ Arielle and I are going too," Violet said as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. "Nico and Val can stay since…" Violet blushed as she searched for words that wouldn't stir up an argument, "…they're tired." Ah, yes. Not far from the truth at all, "They'll be fine alone." Somewhere in the kitchen, the fridge door slammed at the sound of these words. Moments later, Arielle appeared in the doorway, holding a cup of juice fairly tightly. Her knuckles turned white.

"Are you  _sure_ they'll be okay together?  _Alone?_ " Arielle whispered to Ivan, ignoring Violet's raised eyebrows.

Ivan shrug his shoulders as he packed the last of his notebooks with a sigh, "I think so. Val's sound asleep, so if Nico can just keep his paws off—"

"I'm still here, you know," Nico mumbled from the couch he was sitting against. The TV in front of him was playing some cartoon, but the volume was low. His head was tilted back, one arm hanging loosely against his eyes. He felt so damn tired, but at least his insides weren't burning. The others didn't have to remind him to keep his so called 'paws' off Valentine, Nico didn't want to be anywhere near that guy for a while.

"Guys, hurry up, we're late!" Violet yelled as she grabbed the car keys and headed for the door, making sure Arielle and Ivan were close behind.

The silence was almost a bliss once the others were gone, but that didn't mean Nico's thoughts would remain silent. There was too much to think about and try to understand, but it was so hard when he comprehended so very little of what had happened…

Never, in his life, had he felt sick after drinking some lousy human blood, especially blood  _that_ sweet. Nico felt a deep hunger in the pit of his stomach at the memory of Valentine's blood. He pressed his arm tightly against his eyelids and tried to shove that memory out.

After a moment, Nico lowered his arm and sat up straight, catching a glimpse of the time. It was only 8 AM, yet the house was practically empty. Harold had left the house earlier than the others on some sort of 'business trip', as usual, and he was probably at the school by now to play the part of Mr. Brigg, the 11th grade science teacher.

Sometime after helping Nico out, Harold had put Valentine into a deep sleep to help relax the boy, but it wouldn't be long before that wore off. Nico sighed, knowing he'd have to avoid a bullet of questions when Valentine awoke. Until then, he could at least enjoy a cup of coffee and try to get some rest.

Black, one sugar. Nico stirred the mug with a teaspoon before carrying it back to the living room. He paused for a moment and frowned. His hands cupped around the mug he was holding before settling back onto the couch. Vampires didn't really need human food, but that crap tasted good, so why the hell not?

A minute passed, and Nico took a sip before glancing back up at the TV. "I know you're awake," he commented conversationally. Nico took another sip of his coffee then finally sat up and turned around, his gaze landing on the boy at the top of the staircase.

Valentine was a train wreck. His dark hair was wildly mussed from sleeping on a pillow and sticking up at endearing angles. To Nico's amusement, he found the boy attractive like this. Valentine's half-lidded eyes were a little questioning as he met Nico's gaze.

Valentine didn't want to know how Nico knew he was there. Even as he scanned his surroundings, Valentine kept Nico in his periphery vision, watching his body language, wary of the threat he represented. Despite all that, Valentine felt a bit of relief that the boy hadn't died from…well, Valentine wasn't sure. Much of yesterday seemed like some sort of horrible nightmare, and Valentine hadn't had enough time to process it all. He did, however, process one very obvious thing.

"Where is everyone?"

Turning back around to face the TV, Nico finished his coffee and set the mug down on the small table in front of him. Valentine noted that he had changed out of his silly pajama pants. In place of the outfit he had been wearing, Nico was now dressed much more casually in a dark, copper colored short-sleeve shirt and black pants.

"School," Nico replied flatly, wondering when the real questions would start. It was better to get through them now, rather than later when the others were around.

"Oh." Was all Valentine said. He felt a funny little drop in his stomach at the fact that they were the only ones in the house. Slowly, he made his way over to Nico's couch, and the vampire was unable to keep his eyes from roaming to Valentine's bandage. A blush rose to Valentine's cheeks, and Nico narrowed his eyes in mild amusement.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Nico stated, but Valentine's blush only deepened.

Yes, Valentine had caught the way Nico had stared at his neck like it was a piece of cookie, but that only freaked him out. He was only blushing because he couldn't keep the memory of Nico's possessive growl from the previous night.

' _Mine'._

Valentine swallowed hard.

"Okay," Valentine replied tonelessly, once more keeping his answers short. Nico frowned at this, but didn't press any further. When the blonde didn't say anything, Valentine settled at the edge of the couch Nico was sitting on. "Can I…"

Nico's gaze didn't leave the TV. When Valentine didn't continue, he rolled his eyes, "What? Spit it out, stupid."

Gritting his teeth, Valentine glanced down at his clenched fists. "Can I go home?" He felt it was necessary to ask.

"Nah." Nico replied simply.

"No?" Valentine's eyebrows burrowed in a frown as he raised his gaze.

"No." Nico replied, irritation slipping in his tone. Harold made it clear not to let Valentine leave until he returned, but then again…Harold had been under the impression that Valentine would be asleep until at least noon.

Valentine hesitated for a moment. "Are you going to stop me if I try and leave?"

Nico didn't bother trying to repress it, a wry grin quirking the corners of his mouth. "Yes."

A minute passed and neither of them said a word. Nico reached for the TV remote to turn on the volume, pausing when he heard a shuffle from beside him. Taking hold of the remote, Nico quickly shifted his gaze to the edge of the couch, which was now empty where Valentine had once been. "Wha—" Nico jumped off the couch and lurched forward, grabbing Valentine's wrist before he could get too far.

Caught by surprise, Valentine used all his strength to avoid falling backwards.

"I already told you, I'm going to stop you if you try and—"

"I was going to take a piss," Valentine replied flatly. He tried to twist his arm away from Nico, but the other male didn't budge. What the hell was this guy's fingers made of, steel!? "What, you going to stop me from peeing, too?"

Nico paused, as if considering. Valentine's cheeks turned an attractive shade of pink as he made another weak attempt to squeeze out of Nico's grip. "Fine, fine. You can go, but you better be out in five."

What the hell was this, prison?

Valentine resisted the urge to tell Nico to shove it. "Fine," he said quietly instead, the unexpected tone catching Nico more off guard than any snarky remarks would have. Slowly, Nico released his grip on Valentine's wrist but before Valentine could get too far, Nico reached over and yanked the bandage right off his neck.

"OW!" Valentine yelped, his hand immediately flying to cover his stinging neck.

Nico resisted a smirk. "Stop being such a baby," He mumbled, ignoring Valentine's glare as he whacked the boy's hand away from his neck. Valentine opened his mouth to protest, but he felt frozen in place by Nico's gaze, a weird unexplainable lump rising awkwardly in his throat.

The side of Valentine's neck was 50 shades of red, where Nico had grazed his teeth repeatedly against the sensitive flesh. It looked like a hickey. That thought would have been very amusing to Nico, had he not been desperately searching for the puncture wound he'd given Valentine when he'd sank his fang in.

"Jeeze, why do you look so surprised? You're the one who did it," Valentine mumbled under his breath as he attempted to slap the bandage back against his neck.

Nico frowned, but didn't deny anything.

When it was apparent Nico wouldn't try to stop Valentine from leaving to use the toilet, the boy ventured out to the nearest bathroom. On his way out, he couldn't resist from mumbling something along the lines of 'stupid, kinky, tweety-wearing…'.

Nico, of course, heard it loud and clear but was too confused to make a big deal out of it. Before he could even start to make sense of his new discovery, the doorbell rang.

Nico glanced at the bathroom Valentine had escaped to before heading to the front door. Opening it, his frown deepened. "Harold? I thought you were at the school?"

The older man burst inside. He was breathing hard, his voice was hard and serious, brooking no disobedience. Seething, Harold's eyes flashed darkly as they turned towards Nico, "I just got back from a meeting with a few higher-ups," He said, as if that was supposed to explain his paranoia.

Nico shut the door after Harold, "Okay, and? It's not your first meeting." Harold always went out to have 'meetings' with other vampires, most of which were much older and more powerful than he was.

Between the breaths he was trying to fight for and the distress he was trying to keep at bay, Harold caught sight of Nico's confused gaze. "Nico, one of the vampires announced his friend's son was in the area."

Nico still didn't understand what the big deal was, but he didn't have much time to comprehend why it was suddenly so worrying that some extra vampire was running around town. His attention turned to the bathroom where he heard the sound of glass shattering.

Harold made a face that Nico couldn't quite read, though it didn't look happy. "Nico, where the hell is Valentine?"

Nico paled as he approached the bathroom and placed a hand on the door handle. Unlocked. Pushing it open, he gaped at the mess before him. Valentine was nowhere in sight, but Nico had a solid idea of how he'd escaped. The bathroom window was broken, the glass shattered all across the bathroom tiles. Some of them were stained with fresh blood.

Nico opened his mouth, already forming an excuse, "It's no biggie, it's not like he can get far and—"

"Nico. The vampire said his friend – who is  _also_ a vampire – claimed that his  _human_ son is in the area."

Nico rolled his eyes. Couldn't he see Valentine had escaped through a freaking bathroom window? Now was  _not_ the time to discuss some lame vampire and his human son.

Wait.

Nico froze dead in his tracks, his blood going cold. "That doesn't make any sense, I thought you said that wasn't possible? Humans and vampires can't…a son? No way," He tried to blink back his confusion, "And even if that was true, wouldn't we have noticed something…something strange…like…" His gaze shifted back to the broken window, though his mind was elsewhere.

The healed bite marks, the poisonous yet  _delicious_ blood…

Nico made eye contact with Harold for a moment to see if the other man was thinking the same thing. When it seemed like both males were on the right track, Nico did what anyone would do if they were suspicious of Valentine being a half-blood, something only heard of only in bed-time stories and myths.

He burst out laughing.


	8. Mine

**Chapter 7 – Mine**

Valentine closed the bathroom door behind him and leaned on the edge of the sink. He stared down at the crappy porcelain bowl, the silver colored tap, the abandoned gum wrapper with some already chewed-up gum inside… and he saw none of it. Slowly he sighed and lifted his head, gaze catching on himself in the mirror.

He was a mess. No wonder students had given him a look like he was already dropping out after being only enrolled for a few months. He looked like he'd been in a fight. His shirt was torn from when he'd jumped out of the bathroom window. The worst of his cuts and bruises on his fist had already healed considerably, but bruises still remained… His gaze went up to his neck. Not all the bruises were from punching out a window, either.

Valentine slowly ran a hand through his disheveled hair, which only made matters worse. The past night seemed like a blur, like he'd been living somebody else's life. He still couldn't wrap around his head the fact that Nico had made a move on him, giving him a hickey… did he have to be so rough!? Valentine ran a finger against his neck, feeling the sensitive area. It was gross enough that Nico drew blood from the hickey, but why did he…lick it? It was no wonder the boy ended up vomiting. Valentine would, too, if he licked some other kid's blood.

Shivering at the thought, Valentine stepped away from the sink and lowered his gaze as another student stepped into the bathroom. Valentine wasn't sure what possessed him to make a run out of Nico's house and head toward the school, but he wasn't sure where else to go. Nothing about his apartment was comforting, and despite everything that had happened…

He didn't want to be alone.

That was so horribly pathetic that he grinned softly, sardonically at himself. His life – or whatever he  _remembered_ of his life – had been so out of control. Now, however, in almost no time at all his life had slid so far  _out_ of his control that it was laughable. But Valentine didn't feel like laughing.

* * *

"Arielle…how much longer…"

One foot in front of the other. Release a wheeze.

Sprint a few steps. Release a groan. A few more steps…

"How much…longer….Ugh, I can't do this anymore!" Ivan stopped running and placed his hands against his sides, slightly bending over to catch his breath. The sun was puncturing through the vampire's senses, and he felt too tired to finish the rest of the lap. He knew coach would get on his case in a moment, but he couldn't take it anymore.

He leaned closer to Arielle, who'd stopped running alongside him, and lowered his voice. "Pretending to be worn out by running is…well, more tiring than running itself," He complained as he forced one last wheeze out as some human kid ran past them.

P.E was hardly a class that caused the vampires to break a sweat. They were strong, and their adrenaline was always kicked up a few notches higher than any normal human's. Still, people would get curious if they didn't at least  _pretend_ to be tired after a 5-mile run.

Arielle rolled her eyes and ran in place next to Ivan. Her dark auburn hair was swinging pulled back in a loose ponytail, and it swung from side to side with every step, "Oh, boohoo, it's not too bad," She patted Ivan's shoulder unsympathetically.

"It  _is_! There's no cute girls to try and run after, either," He muttered sadly. "They're always only around when Nico is, and it's not fair because there's this one girl…"

Arielle quickly zoned Ivan out as her mind went back to Nico and Valentine, who were still probably back at the mansion. She frowned.  _No, now is not the time to start feeling jealous. Concentrate,_  she told herself, though it didn't seem to work. She wished she could have stayed at the mansion, to make sure nothing else happened between those two boys…

Her thoughts flew back to Valentine's neck. She couldn't even bring herself to think about the  _important_ facts, such as the fact that Nico had almost died for some unknown reason, or that weird things seemed to be happening wherever Valentine was. She could only think about that reddened patch of skin on Valentine's neck, about how it must've felt to have Nico's lips pressed against such a sensitive area…

Arielle shuddered.

Nico had only bitten her once before, and that was only to help her turn into a vampire before she could die. Memories of her death and how she almost drowned very clearly bothered Arielle, but with those memories came memories of Nico, and that compelling sight she witnessed the night she woke up after her heart stopped beating…

Her blood had covered Nico's lips and mouth, and had dripped profusely from his extended fangs. He'd been so gentle. So gentle. And his eyes…His eyes had been glazed with an almost drug-high kind of ecstasy and she had practically  _felt_ his lungs heaving slightly as he looked at her, his pupils dilated and his eyes glowing so intensely…

It had been the scariest and most attractive thing Arielle had ever seen, and it was an image that had burned through her memories for decades.

No one knew it –  _especially_ not the other vampires - but Arielle so desperately wanted Nico to sink his teeth once more into her flesh. It wasn't enough to watch him feed on others anymore, it just…wasn't. She needed to  _feel_ him while he fed, and…and…and it wasn't fair that Valentine had experienced what she so desperately wanted! More than that, Valentine  _hurt_ Nico! Sure, Arielle adored Valentine and had grown to love protecting the human but…but she'd always been so faithful to Nico, and her love could only be shared for so long. She  _needed_ –

"Hel-loooo? Earth to Ari-eeeelle?" Ivan was waving a hand in front of Arielle's face and she quickly snapped out of her self-absorbed thoughts.

Slapping Ivan's hand away, she broke into a run across the track, "Hurry up!" She yelled over her shoulder, making Ivan want to cry like a baby now, more than ever. Before he could chase after her, a conversation not too far from Ivan caught his attention, and he began to pretend to jog in place for a moment.

"Yoooo, did you see the size of that thing!?" One boy whistled, and the girl next to him giggled.

"Looks like the new kid's getting more action than  _you,_ Will," the girl added as she poked her friend's chest with a teasing wink.

Her friend rolled his eyes, "It was probably that party, I heard shit got crazy there!" He appeared to be pouting, "If I knew there was a chance I'd get laid, I woulda gone, but…"

"Pfff, the party was lame. Once, my ex gave me a hickey the size of my head on my—"

Ivan stopped listening in on the conversation before the girl could get colorful with her words. How the hell did these guys know about Valentine's neck, if Valentine was still back at the mansion!?

Unless, of course…he wasn't.

* * *

Coming to school was a big mistake.

Valentine knew something was wrong when six different kids stepped out of their way to make some sort of suggestive remark about his neck. _'Fun night?' 'Whoa, sweet party, huh?' 'Who's the lucky girl?' 'damnnn is she single?'_. There were many more. Perverts.

Valentine didn't understand what the big deal was, it was just some stupid bruise. It's not like anyone knew how he got it, so how did they know it involved lips and..and...sucking…and… Valentine shuddered, not wanting to relive the moment just yet. Apparently – as someone pointed out to him as he headed to his math class – the bruise was a  _love_ mark, whatever the hell that meant. Valentine didn't know how to explain to people that his memory was slightly messed up and he had no idea what a lot of phrases and things meant, so he just accepted the perverted remarks and moved on with his life. It's not like Nico did it out of love. Valentine snorted at the thought.

Still, he didn't know what the meaning behind a 'hickey' really was, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. Growing self-conscious, he made an effort to hide his neck with some toilet paper and desk tape. It would look like he was covering up a cut or something, no big deal.

Math class was a bore, but at least it was the last class of the day.

Valentine had made sure to skip out on Brigg's class for obvious reasons, but that didn't mean he'd skip out on all the other classes. He was already at school, he might as well make use of it… He only wished he remembered which classes he had with Nico, Arielle, Ivan, and Violet but he barely remembered his teachers' names, much less which kids were in his class. He only needed to know to avoid those classes. Although, Valentine didn't realize how much of a mistake not having that knowledge was until he settled in a corner desk of his math class.

Class ran along fine until the teacher asked someone to come up to the board to solve a question that Valentine didn't even know how to start to comprehend. Valentine was leaning forward, his chin placed against the palm of his hand, with his elbow set firmly on the desk. His eyes were just starting to flutter shut, when someone from two desks behind him began to shuffle around. Valentine's gaze was on the empty space beside his desk as he watched the long pair of legs brush past his seat.

Valentine caught a whiff of a familiar scent, but he was so close to dozing off, so close to falling into a warm darkness filled with nothing but silence and lavender…

_Lavender?_

Valentine's eyes suddenly widened and he sat up, his gaze settling on the boy in front of the classroom, who had just finished solving the question. The teacher appeared pleased as Nico set down the erasable marker and began making his way back to his desk.

The black-haired boy tensed in his seat. What the hell was Nico doing here? Had he come back for Valentine?! And why…why was he wearing those ridiculous glasses again!? Valentine didn't know what he was expecting considering they were out in the open, but Valentine was definitely expecting  _something_ to happen. A punch, a dimpled smirk, a glare…. _something._ As Nico neared, Valentine's ears began to buzz and he could've sworn his mind shut off everything else in the background in that one moment Nico brushed past him. Once the blonde was out of Valentine's peripheral vision, Valentine frowned.

That's it? Nothing?

Nico's gaze didn't even land on Valentine  _once._

Not sure if he was more disappointed or relieved, Valentine shrunk back into his seat. A deep, painful, humiliated flush appeared on his pale throat and cheeks.  _Disappointed?_ Sure, getting attention from Nico and the others that lived with him had been nice, but also scary. It wasn't the type of attention Valentine should be wanting. He felt lonely at times, but not  _that_ lonely.

Content with the fact that everything turned out okay, Valentine sat up in his seat and settled back in position to try and go for another nap. See? Math class  _is_ a bore—

Silent but soul deep pain stabbed unexpectedly through Valentine's heart as he felt an unbearable tightness build in his chest, much similar to the time Nico had cornered him at the party. Valentine hugged one arm around his body and set his gaze on the desk, refusing to look anywhere else so he didn't attract any attention. He tried desperately to breathe through the pain, but it literally felt like the air around him was pressing against his chest, compressing painfully around him.

A small whimper escaped his lips and for a moment, Valentine could've sworn the pressure eased the tiniest bit, if only for a moment to allow him to catch his breath.

 _What the hell is this?_ Valentine unwrapped his arm from around himself and pressed a hand against his racing heart. Fighting against tears, Valentine peeled his gaze away from his desk and tried to look at the rest of the class, which seemed unaffected by the sudden change in pressure.

Luckily, before anyone could realize Valentine was breaking into a sweat and trying his best not to wheeze out loud, the last bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day.

Once he was certain everyone – including the teacher had left, Valentine managed to make it out into the hallway without vomiting whatever was in his system – mostly the spiked drink, some strange refreshments, and…water. His hair clung to the perspiration slicking his brow as he leaned himself against the hallway wall. The pressure against his chest wasn't intensifying, but it wasn't going away either. It was as if he'd climbed a mountain without packing any oxygen, and he couldn't bear it.

Without another moment wasted, Valentine rushed into the nearest restroom and reached for the closest sink, gripping it tightly as he hurled whatever he'd consumed in the past night. Slowly –  _so very slowly –_ the pressure lifted. Valentine ran his hands down his face under the sink water and finally turned it off, standing up straight. His eyes immediately landed on the mirror in front of him, which revealed something other than his own reflection.

Just a little behind him was Nico, wiggling into soccer shoes. Valentine froze, the water trickling from his hair and face down to his shirt.

Nico finished putting on his soccer shoes and stood up straight, his eyes landing on Valentine. He smiled slightly at the reflection of the other's surprised face, "Take a picture, it'll last longer." He winked from behind his glasses, which only sent shivers down Valentine's back.

The blonde didn't seem surprised that Valentine was pale and had just  _vomited,_ but Valentine was becoming more aware of that fact. Somehow, he had a feeling Nico had to do something with that strange feeling from earlier. The party, and now… But how?

"You're going to pay for that broken window, by the way," Nico added before grabbing his sports bag and disappearing out of the bathroom.

* * *

"Waiiiiiiiiit, wait, waiiiiiiiit." Ivan raised both hands in defense. Both his eyebrows were arched.

He took a deep breath, let out. Took another deep breath…held it. Let it out.

"So lemme get this straight. We pick up some stray, abused toddler and let Harold work his sleep-magic on him. Said abused toddler wakes up 12 years later and he's suddenly a half-blood?" He made a face. "Those don't even exist… _do_ they?"

Violet smacked Ivan's arm. "No,  _idiot._ They don't," she frowned, looking at Harold for help. "Or, well, they're not  _supposed_ to. And if he is a halfy, then he's always been one, not just now…"

Ivan rubbed his arm, shooting Violet a hurt glare. Vampire or not, smacks still hurt. He was just trying to understand all this new info that Harold had dumped on them the second they'd returned home from school.

 _Okay._ So he didn't exactly dump the info flat out…Ivan had  _accidentally_ read their guardian's thoughts, and 'Val's a halfy' just so happened to be somewhere in there. And now, Harold was trying to explain himself and what had happened at the meeting from earlier that morning.

"No, they don't," Harold finally spoke up. "Vampires can mate with humans all they want, but their offspring always die in the mother's womb. There's cases where some fetuses lasted up to 3 months, but those cases are rare enough." He let out a shaky breath, "If what was claimed at the meeting is right, then there's a one-and-only half-blood in the neighborhood. Now, I'm not saying that it  _is_ Valentine, but…"

Harold had always had a feeling that Valentine was special somehow. Different. Harold thought back to a conversation he had earlier with Nico. The boy had been so stressed and when Harold questioned him, Nico admitted to seeing that Valentine's bite-mark had disappeared on its own. Nico promised Harold that he  _did_ consume blood, that it wasn't just a simple lick.

He relayed this information to the others, and they grew quiet until Violet spoke up.

"Well, I mean, even if he  _is_ a halfy, we don't even know what a half-blood would look like or  _anything._ Valentine's the most human-like guy we've seen. He doesn't have powers like us, and it's not like he's running around, craving blood," She pointed out.

Again, it grew quiet.

Ivan shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "He doesn't run around hungry for human food, either." None of them could recall the last time Valentine had an actual meal during lunch, and they  _knew_ the boy didn't keep much in his fridge. Whether that was teenage habit or not, the others weren't too sure.

"Drinking his blood shouldn't have hurt Nico like that." Arielle's voice was low, soft.

There was a long pause before Violet shrugged. Her tone grew defensive. "Well,  _yeah,_ but maybe it just wasn't tasty or something. You know how picky Nico is."

Arielle did know, but she didn't need to be reminded of it.

Before Arielle could bring up the fact that the girl from the forest  _died_ from supposedly consuming Valentine's blood, the front door burst open and a sweaty Nico stepped inside.

"I'm  _not_ picky," he pointed out with a snarl as he tossed his half-open sports bag to the side. He'd been listening in on their conversation for a while now, thanks to his heightened senses.

Judging from the sweat and dirt that was clinging onto Nico's skin, soccer practice probably hadn't gone too well. Nobody dared ask what happened as Nico crossed the living room and made his way to his bedroom upstairs. Harold figured he'd reprimand the boy later regarding Valentine's escape.

Before he slammed his door shut behind him, Nico peered down the staircase at the rest of his so called 'family'. They all stared up at him.

"For the record, he tasted fucking  _delicious."_


	9. Crave

**Chapter 8 - Crave**

**Warning:** Chapter contains some triggers relating to forced physical contact, i.e kissing, etc. Read at your own risk.

* * *

"No."

"But…"

"No."

Violet tugged off her scarf and flopped down into the nearest easy chair in the common room, picking up a magazine and holding it up almost defensively between her and the curly brown-haired vampire trying to reason with her. They'd been having this discussion all weekend and Violet was not pleased that Ivan had picked it up again.

"How about if…"

"NO!"

"Vi-vi…" Ivan's voice held a mix of frustration and pleading as Violet resignedly dropped the magazine, giving up any pretense of reading.

"Ivan…" Violet's green eyes trying to convey annoyance, although they hid a faint undercurrent of uncertainty and discomfort. "It's just not a good idea. I told you, I don't like what the internet says about vampires and reading that stuff will just worry us."

Ivan smiled faintly, sinking down into the chair across from where Violet was seated. "But the Internet is our friend" he murmured quietly, looking away. "Besides, it's not like we'll find  _that_ many articles about half-bloods. It's worth a try, don't you think?"

Violet sighed and raised both hands in surrender. "Do whatever you want, I'm not involved."

Ivan didn't need to be told a second time. He fled to the corner, where a laptop sat on a small desk and proceeded to start his search.

A week had passed since they'd learned about the possibility that Valentine was half-vampire, half-human. Since that time, they'd all had a hard time trying to carry any conversation with the boy, but it didn't seem like Valentine minded – it was nice to be away from their strange family. Still, they were all so very curious to find out the truth about Valentine, but they couldn't exactly go up to him and ask.

_'Oh hey Val, lovely weather. By the way, do you think your part vampire?'_

Yeah. That would go well.

They were all fairly certain the boy was just as clueless as them, anyway. Still, finding out a half-blood lived among them was like a human finding out an alien lived in their area. Except, half-bloods were probably rarer.

"Hey, look! This article says half-bloods are…" Ivan squinted at the screen then scrunched up his nose. Slowly, he shook his head. "Nevermind."

Violet perked up in her seat, eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

"Oh,  _come_ on! You can't just—" Violet started to spring up to her feet, but Ivan's words stopped her.

"Half-bloods are fun to have sex with," he finished, pursing his lips. His gaze shifted to Violet, who was now rolling her eyes and sitting back down. Next to her, Arielle giggled.

And  _this_ is exactly why Violet didn't trust the internet.

Ivan quickly jumped to another link and began reading, this time making sure he read the full article before opening his mouth. As he did, he shut Arielle and Violet out. The girls were bickering about something.

"Weeeeeell, Edward Cullen  _is_ hot," Violet was pointing out in a matter-of-fact tone. "But like I said, the internet and media is stupid. Those Twilight books exaggerated  _everything_ about us. I mean, come on.  _Who_ could run that fast?" She rolled her eyes and sank down in her chair.

Arielle giggled behind a cupped hand, "I wish we could glitter in the sun, that would be pretty cool. It's like self bling-bling. I wouldn't have to think about what jewelry to wear to school."

Both girls were roaring with laughter by now, though Violet managed to catch a glimpse of Ivan's horrified face between her laughing fit. Slowly, she quieted down and sat up straight. "Ivan? What is it?" She shifted to the side, trying to peer over Ivan's shoulder to see what he was looking at.

The usually chirpy boy was sitting stiffly in his chair as his eyes skimmed the article in front of him. He barely heard Violet until he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Swallowing hard, he peeled his gaze away from the pale glow of the computer screen, "Look, you were right. None of this stuff can be true. No one's ever seen a halfy anyway, right?" He reached over for the laptop lid, but Violet stopped him from shutting it down.

"What does it say?" She asked quietly, a shudder running through her body as she kept her gaze on Ivan. Ivan was always the weird one, so nothing really ever weirded him out. Whatever he saw must have been bad.

Ivan ran a hand through his curls, which just fell back into place. "It said…" He swallowed hard, unable to meet gazes with the others. "Well, it states that in the legends, half-bloods are a bad omen to any other vampires. Their blood is poisonous to us, and their bite can paralyze anything. It says they mostly exist to attract and kill other vampires, which is apparently easy since…. _apparently,_ consuming any of their blood and surviving through it will only make you crave it more, like some powerful aphrodisiac. And you can't avoid it, because normal human or vampire blood will no longer be able to satisfy your hunger. Eventually, you will try to drink from the half-blood again and again…"

The room was suddenly quiet, though all eyes were now on the small figure that was curled up on an easy chair in the far off corner, away from the rest of the vampires in the room. His arms were crossed behind his ruffled blonde locks, and his eyes were only half-closed. Nico had heard everything.

Arielle made a choking sound, breaking the dull silence. "Oh, don't be ridiculous. Of  _course_ that's just some stupid fake article. If Nico had been craving Val's blood for the past week, we would've noticed by now," She rolled her eyes, though she didn't sound convinced, "Besides, Nico fed like, two days ago. He doesn't look hunger-crazed to me right now."

Nico remained quiet, neither denying nor accepting anything that was said. He'd been quiet the past week, especially during any conversations that mentioned the stupid human – errr, halfblood. Whatever he was.

"Nico, is this true?" Violet asked gently, her voice filled with concern.

"Oh man, oh  _maaaaaaaan._ We've been trying to protect a vampire killing machine this whole time," Ivan groaned, slapping a palm over his hand dramatically.

Before anyone could squeeze a reply from the quiet blonde, Harold stepped into the common room, a frown on his face, "For crying out loud! I know it's the weekend, but that doesn't mean you can slack off! Whose turn is it to watch?"

The other vampires watched Harold curiously for a moment, knowing he'd probably heard their conversation. When Harold didn't say anything about it, it was clear none of this was new information to him. What the hell was he hiding?

'Watch' was the term for, well…  _watching._ Every day for the past few months, the vampires would take turns spending the night outside of Valentine's apartment, listening and watching him to make sure everything was okay. The first few months after Valentine had woken up from the coma, sleep didn't come easily – he'd wake up in the middle of the night, screaming and vomiting. Sometimes, he'd just sleep right through the night terrors. The vampires had been there to comfort him without him knowing it and eventually, the nightmares died down over time. Now, they watched Valentine for a completely different reason, though no one would admit it out loud.

They wanted to know if he really was half-vampire.

Something like a groan escaped Ivan's lips, "It's my turn," He mumbled, shutting off the laptop before he pulled himself out of the chair. After what he'd just read, being around Valentine somewhat horrified him. Just minutes ago, he didn't think Valentine was capable of harming a fly. Now, Ivan was pretty convinced he could make the fly explode with a  _stare._

There was a sound of shuffling, and Nico was suddenly on his feet, "Don't worry about it, I'll go."

Almost immediately, all hell broke loose.

"What?! No, I'm already up, It's  _my_ turn anyway, I can—"

"Yeah, it's Ivan's turn. Don't go, Nico," Arielle's eyes were wide.

"I  _know_ you heard what we said earlier, are you crazy!? There's no way we're letting you—" Violet paused as Harold's hand suddenly went up, silencing them.

"If he wants to go, then let him. He knows the rules, don't you, Nico?" Tension suddenly filled the air as Harold's gaze tore through the blonde's whole being. Once things had calmed down after Nico had bitten Valentine, Harold and the boy had  _many_ talks. Talks with Harold was like talking to your 11 year old emotional self. Nerve-wrecking, agony-filled, and…nobody wanted to talk to their emotional 11 year old self, now did they?

Harold wasn't one to use force, but Nico had been warned that things wouldn't be so easy if he tried to break Harold's rules once more.

"Of course," Nico replied coolly as he stepped past Harold, "You've only been drilling them into my brain for the past 72 years." His lips played at a small smirk, but no one saw it as Nico left to his bedroom to get changed.

* * *

The apple juice tasted like battery acid.

Valentine spit the drink out into the kitchen sink, saving himself a night from throwing up later. He wasn't sure how long he'd had that apple juice or why he hadn't bothered to go shopping for something that wasn't a few months expired.

Oh, right. That's probably because he didn't have any money. Or maybe he did. Valentine wasn't sure.

Valentine never got in trouble for not paying the apartment rent – in fact, the short bald man always seemed pleased to see Valentine.  _'Good kid, friends in high places…_ ' the man would always mutter when passing Valentine. The half-blood wasn't sure what that meant, but he wasn't about to start questioning it. Maybe he did pay the rent and forgot about it. Not surprising, considering Valentine's flawed memory.

He wondered if he had friends in high places that would make food magically reappear in his fridge. Valentine couldn't remember the last time he had an actual meal. Not a piece of gum or an apple peel – an  _actual_ meal. His stomach gave a low grumble at the thought and with a sigh, Valentine rinsed his mouth out to get rid of the foul expired-apple-juice taste.

It was time for a shopping trip – probably the first one in months.

Glancing at the clock in the small living room of his apartment, Valentine felt a nervous shiver run down his spine. It was only a bit past 10 PM, but Valentine felt hesitant to leave the apartment.

_'It's not like he's scared of the dark, are you, little Vally-Wally?'_

Valentine grit his teeth and shoved the blonde's attitude-filled words out of his mind. It wasn't that Valentine was scared of the dark, it was…night-time. Something about it irked him, and he didn't appreciate how Nico seemed to pick at his flaw as if he  _knew._ Nico didn't know  _anything._ Valentine's night-time daydreams and night terrors weren't something he'd ever discuss with that stupid hipster, so of course he wouldn't know.

 _Stop thinking about him,_ Valentine told himself as he grabbed a gray jacket that was a bit too thin for the cold night. He didn't have much else, so he slipped it on and rummaged around the apartment for whatever scraps of money he could find. In the end, he managed to collect five dollars and a quarter and a paperclip. He shoved the money in the pocket of his jeans.

Tossing the paper clip away with a sigh, Valentine escaped into the night but not before locking the apartment door.

Parked cars gleamed pale and shiny in the clouded moonlight. Thunder rumbled through the swollen clouds and lightening flashed somewhere in the distance. Clearly, Valentine's timing was off. With a soft sigh, the boy slipped the hood of his jacket onto his hair and started making his way down the quiet neighborhood. Light rain began to pelt against Valentine, the combination of water and cold air causing goosebumps to form all over his body.

The closest store was a small family grocery that sold the everyday necessities – milk, bread, cheese, chips, twinkies. Y'know. The necessary stuff. Fortunately, it was a 24 hr store but it was still a bit of a walk away. Keeping his gaze low, Valentine tried to remain on the sidewalk, where a few trees shielded him from the rain.

Soon enough, the rain started coming down hard and it was practically pointless for Valentine to try and remain dry. It soaked through his thin jacket and clothing, plastering his hair to his face. All he could do was hope that whatever he was going to buy would be worth—

Valentine ran into a rock.

"Ow! Watch it, kid, before I make a snack out of you," the rock hissed. Well okay, so maybe not a rock, but something oddly hard enough to be one. Valentine quickly reached for his hood to pull it off his head and apologize, but he caught a quick glimpse of the guy underneath the hood of the umbrella.

What the hell was Nico doing out here?!

Valentine quickly slipped his hands back to his sides and mumbled a weak apology under his breath. Keeping his head low, he sidestepped and started to walk around the guy he'd gladly go through the night without seeing.

Nico, however, didn't need to peek under the guy's hood to figure out who it was. The boy was so scentless, Nico hadn't even realized there was anyone in front of him – it was probably his fault as much as Valentine's that they ran into each other. He just didn't understand what the hell Valentine was doing out in the rain – or, well, out  _at all._ The boy hardly left his apartment.

But…how the hell was he supposed to stalk-…er..  _watch_ the dumb half-blood now!?

Before Valentine could get too far, Nico reached over and grabbed one of Valentine's jacket sleeves, yanking him back. Nico hid a smirk when the boy stifled a small gasp in surprise.

Nico raised his umbrella, but didn't bother placing it over Valentine. He didn't like sharing. Besides, the halfy was already wet. "What are you doing out here?" Nico asked, raising his voice a bit to be heard over the loud patter of the rain.

Valentine gave Nico an incredulous look, jerking the sleeve of his jacket away from Nico as if he'd been touched by something disgusting and half stumbled, half darted quickly backwards, keeping a good swath of distance between himself and the other male. Last he'd seen Nico was in the bathroom, after he'd felt that strange pressure building up around him. He was still certain Nico had something to do with it, he just didn't know how. He was furious… but it wasn't anger that was strongest in those light blue eyes. It was fear. Nico could see it, could practically smell it… Valentine was afraid of him. No… he was  _terrified._

 _Wait 'til you find you're like me. Well, partly,_ Nico thought bitterly to himself. He ignored the strange chill he felt to see Valentine look so scared of him.

"It's none of your business," Valentine snapped, struggling to keep from blinking so much. The rain had completely drenched his jacket and it kept pouring onto his face, stinging his eyes. He was cold, wet, hungry, and… tired. He didn't need Nico to add on to the list.

Nico trailed closely behind Valentine as the boy started moving down the sidewalk, "Isn't your mom going to be worried if you're out in the rain?" He asked, hiding a smirk. He remembered Valentine using the old 'mom is going to worry' act when he didn't want to stay the night at the mansion. Bringing up Valentine's parents was a touchy topic the vampires they tried to avoid, but it's not like Nico cared much for Valentine's emotions right now.

When there was no response from the other boy – who was now picking up his pace – Nico continued, "You still owe me, you know. For breaking the window and—"

Valentine suddenly whirled around, catching Nico off-guard. "I'm going shopping, alright?" Valentine hesitated for a moment before adding, "Please stop following me."

Nico snorted. Now, his umbrella was raised all the way to reveal his amused expression. " _Following_ you? You wish. I'm here…shopping. Too." He peeled his gaze away from Valentine's skeptical eyes.

To Valentine, his own situation made sense. He was shopping at 10 PM in the middle of a small thunder storm because he'd been living off  _scraps._ Nico's situation, on the other hand, was an absolute joke and Valentine had a hard time believing it. The guy lived in a  _mansion_ , and Valentine recalled seeing at least half a dozen types of cereal boxes laid out on their kitchen counter. Why the hell would  _he_ need to shop so late? Besides, this store wasn't even close to Nico's apartment. What was he doing on this side of town?

 _Liar,_ Valentine wanted to say. Instead, he simply shrugged. "Whatever," he mumbled, continuing on his way. He didn't want to be out during nighttime any longer than he had to.

Moments later, Valentine turned a corner and slipped into the small store. From the corner of his eyes, he watched as Nico paused outside the store to close his umbrella.

 _Creep,_ Valentine thought to himself as he flipped his hood off his head and proceeded to go toward some aisles of food. He left a small trail of water wherever he walked, causing some of the workers to scowl at him

It didn't take Valentine long to find something. When one had only five dollars and a quarter, there wasn't much to choose from. Deciding on a small microwavable pizza and some lollipops, Valentine headed to check out his items.

"I can't take this crap," the spunky girl from behind the counter stated, her eyes on the drenched 5 dollar bill Valentine had laid out for her. The girl, not much older than 22 probably, had hair that was all shades of black and pink, and Valentine didn't even want to know how many lip piercings she had – but he definitely counted more than 4.

"It's all I have," Valentine mumbled lamely. A small pool of water formed around the crumbled, soggy bill. Pathetic.

"Sucks, kiddo. We only accept cash, not  _trash,"_ She snorted and chuckled under her breath like it was the funniest joke of the century.

Too cold and hungry to argue, Valentine nodded in surrender and grabbed his money, crunching it in a tight fist. He left the quarter on the table and set aside the microwavable pizza and some of the larger lollipops. In the end, all that was sitting on the counter was a quarter and 2 dum-dum lollipops.

The girl shrugged and took the quarter. Before she could finish processing it into the cashier, a crisp 10 dollar bill along with 5 different microwavable foods and a handful of lollipops suddenly appeared on the counter in front of Valentine.

"He's with me," Nico explained to the girl behind the counter. His gaze swept over to the girl, gauging her reaction, testing her silently.  _Try to use your attitude with me, and you'll see what'll happen._ The girl rolled her eyes and proceeded to total up all the new items.

Nico's eyes were on Valentine now as the blushing halfblood turned back to Nico and held his gaze.

The light blue eyes widened a little.  _Nico, what the hell are you still doing here?_ Valentine felt weird, frozen, not sure if he should thank the other guy or protest against letting him pay for all that food.

A very small smile played around Nico's lips at the unspoken question, "Yours," he said, holding out the bag of items the girl had just finished checking out for them. Valentine couldn't stop the bring pink flush that spread over his face, not sure if it was brought on by embarrassment from having this asshole pay for him… or because of the way his heart skipped at Nico's sudden nice gesture.

Valentine took the bag reluctantly. With his other hand, he wiped some dripping water from his forehead, causing his hair to stick to one direction, "I, uh…thanks," he mumbled, lowering his gaze as he stepped away from the counter before people noticed the small pool of water that had formed around his feet. "You didn't have to—" Valentine paused, glancing once more at the counter then back at Nico, "Didn't you say you had to shop? Where's  _your_ stuff?"

Reaching forward, Nico slipped a hand into Valentine's shopping bag and pulled out a lollipop. "Right here," He replied flatly as he ripped off the wrapper and poked the lollipop into one side of his mouth.

Before Valentine could tell Nico that he was a liar, the blonde ushered both of them out. Gripping the bag tightly with one hand, Valentine used the other hand to raise his hood back over his head. Meanwhile, Nico was occupying himself with a coke machine just outside the store. Once he was satisfied with the Dr. Pepper that the machine gave him, Nico opened his umbrella and placed it over his own head, still not sharing.

It took Nico a moment to realize Valentine had just stood there the whole time, waiting. Pausing, Nico frowned. "What is it?" His gaze skimmed the other's pale features, noting his rosy cheeks. The boy looked a bit sick, and Nico wondered if he had been eating at all.

"Um, thanks," Valentine said, unable to make eye contact with the other. Did Nico have to stare so hard at him? It made him so freaking nervous. "I'll pay you ba—"

"Jeeze, are you stupid or something? I already heard you the first time, you don't have to kiss my ass and keep thanking me," Nico popped his can of Dr. Pepper open and took a sip, enjoying how the taste mixed with the cherry dum-dum in his mouth.

Valentine's fingers tightened around the bag he was holding, his knuckles turning white. "You are so freaking  _irritating."_

A bright flash of lightening and a distant, childish shriek blurred Valentine's last word and both Nico and Valentine's heads jerked up, turning automatically in the direction of the sound.

Neither said a word, both understanding that they needed to find close shelter. Breaking into a run, they managed to find a tall building with a large roof that stretched out, shielding some of the sidewalk. The searing flash of lightening arcing across the sky startled Valentine and he lost his footing for a moment. He teetered on the edge of the sidewalk, but Nico reached forward and clutched his elbow, yanking him under the shelter of the roof.

Nico's face paled when Valentine had nearly slipped off into the road. If the kid died while Nico was on watch, Harold wouldn't let him hear the end of it. "Listen, Val, you need to get to your apartment and—" Surprise flashed on Valentine's face and Nico quickly realized his mistake.

"How do you….how do you know I live in an apartment?" Valentine almost shook, his body protesting the shivers that kept running down his spine. He wasn't sure if he was shivering because he was so cold and wet, or because Nico couldn't have been any creepier than he was this very moment.

"Lucky guess," Nico quickly said, covering his ass.

They were both forced to press against the wall of the building to prevent any rain from falling on them. In his panic to pull Valentine off the road, he'd abandoned his black umbrella and now it was rolling around the ground in front of them. Nico placed a foot against the handle to prevent it from flying away and slowly dragged it closer to him.

Valentine looked like a nervous mess. It was  _very_ late now – probably almost midnight, and the weather wasn't lighting up. His teeth lightly chattered from anxiety or the cold – or  _both._ Probably both.

Nico peered at Valentine through narrowed, curious eyes. The boy looked so  _pathetic,_ there was no way any vampire blood was running through that weak body of his. The thought of Valentine being a half-blood or  _anything_ besides human was still hilarious to Nico. It was a joke, really.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder when the boy would show  _some_ signs of being a vampire,  _if_ he was part one. He didn't know how half-bloods worked, but something  _has_ to trigger his vampirism, right? Harold had insisted that he would test Valentine out himself, but the man had done nothing to keep his word so far. With what Ivan had said earlier that day about craving Valentine's blood and… and…

Nico scowled under his breath. He  _needed_ to know if Valentine was a halfblood.

Glancing at the other boy, Nico hid an amused smirk when he saw Valentine rubbing at his eyes with a fist to get the rain water out, like some little kid.  _So pathetic,_ Nico thought to himself, yet he was still very amused at the sight.

Seeing as the other boy was occupied, Nico quickly bit down his thumb with a fang and waited until a large drop of crimson began seeping out. He tilted his thumb onto the Dr. Pepper can, letting a few good drops of fresh blood fall into the drink. As he licked his thumb to stop the bleeding, Nico gently swirled the drink and tapped Valentine's shoulder gently. When Valentine lowered his fist from his eyes, Nico stifled a small laugh. The area around Valentine's eyes was red, the contrast of the night against his pale face making him look like a panda.

Nico placed the Dr. Pepper can under Valentine's nose, "Want some?"

Valentine eyed the can hesitantly for a moment before reluctantly wrapping his hands around it. Why was Nico being so nice? It was freaky. Still, Valentine was hungry and anything would do at the moment. Placing the can against his lips, he took a small sip and Nico watched in anticipation as…

Valentine spit the drink the moment it came in contact with his taste buds. He bent over, coughing and spluttering and struggling to get the disgusting taste out of his mouth. "What the hell is that!? It's disgusting!" It tasted so metallic and coppery and… _disgusting._

Nico looked slightly offended for a moment but he quickly redeemed himself, "Dr. Pepper," he mumbled in reply, taking the can from Valentine. He watched as Valentine placed a hand against the wall of the building, keeping his head down as he spit the drink out. "Jeeze, overreact much?" That was definitely not the reaction he'd been expecting, and it only added to the fact that Valentine was still some lame human.

Valentine felt like he was going to be sick. The taste was still in the back of his throat, and it took a lot of effort not to vomit right then and there. God, he just wanted to go home now. When was this stupid thunderstorm going to end?

"Ugh, it's disgusting. I need to brush my teeth," Valentine shuddered, finally standing back up to face Nico. His lips were flushed from trying to spit the drink out so aggressively and if he wasn't shivering before, he definitely was now. Something on the corner of his lips stung and Valentine reached over with his forefinger to poke at it. He checked his finger and saw a smear of blood. "Great, I cut myself with the stupid can—"

There was no warning before it happened.

Valentine hadn't even realized when Nico had started to move, but their lips had suddenly clashed, and Valentine's bag fell out of his grip. The touch of Nico's lips on his felt like it had momentarily shorted his brain circuits. The blonde's lips were so  _cold,_ yet they felt so inexplicably warm against his own lips. Valentine felt the butterflies mating in his gut kick into high gear as Nico suddenly pushed him hard against the wall of the building. What the…? Nico's mouth moved against Valentine's, smooth as silk, hard as iron and raw as fire, not giving the half-blood any time to process  _anything._

Nico suddenly paused and leaned a fraction of an inch away, eyes slightly widening as if he'd just realized what he'd done. He could feel Valentine's body trembling, but he couldn't even focus on that. He couldn't focus on anything. He couldn't peel his gaze away from the tiny cut that was practically begging Nico to rip open.

"N-Nico, wh—Nnnng!" The breathless word was half gasp, but Nico didn't wait to find out if it was encouragement or protest. He didn't care. He pressed forward, his mouth latched onto Valentine's, kissing him intensely as he purposely let his teeth graze against the cut, drawing blood.

' _Mine'_ , Valentine suddenly remembered. He didn't know why he was thinking about that  _now._

Valentine felt unwelcome heat spiking through him, as ruthless and unstoppable as Nico's kiss. He raged against it, placing both fists against Nico's chest to try and shove him off, but the other male was  _much_ stronger. Valentine was beginning to taste blood and much to his disgust, he realized how eerily similar it was to the taste of the Dr. Pepper. Fear blazed hot and fierce through the halfblood and he did struggle now, mind almost blanking with panic.

Nico paid no attention to Valentine's struggles and protests. His grip on Valentine's shoulders tightened as he kept the other boy pressed against the wall, his lips hungrily devouring the sweet blood that the kiss was squeezing out. The taste of Valentine's blood only put Nico further into his dark, euphoric state. It wasn't often he went into a hunger frenzy, it was  _very_ rare in fact…but it was frightening when he did.

Nico couldn't deny it anymore. Ivan's words from earlier – Nico couldn't deny  _any_ of that. He couldn't even  _dare_ deny the fact that for the past week all he'd been thinking about was how  _pure,_ how  _sweet_ Valentine's damned blood was. He couldn't even bring himself to deny that he hadn't been able to stomach the packets of animal blood – packets of  _any_ blood, for that matter – ever since he'd tasted Valentine's blood.

He didn't care if it was poison, he didn't care if he died, he just…just…  _God._ He could feel Valentine's blood throbbing through his veins, through his senses. It was a complete head-rush and he felt high as a kite – a kite sailing without a string. His body yearned with a kind of yearning he almost didn't know how to handle. This stupid  _cut_ wasn't enough – it was nowhere near enough. He craved so much more.

The knowledge that he would die could not have dislodged Nico at this moment, Valentine's vague attempts certainly weren't about to do much. The vampire easily captured Valentine's hands in his, fingers intertwining, palms pressed together as he trapped Valentine's hands back against the wall, on either side of the half-blood's head.

Nico had to practically peel himself away from Valentine's lips. "Harold is  _so_ going to kill me…" he murmured huskily, the low voice almost a purr. His face was still so close to Valentine's, his hot breath brushing the other's skin as he drank up the fear flickering in the bright blue eyes. A low chuckle escaped his lips, "Or maybe you will…" his green eyes glazed, starting to glow with hunger, "But I'm dragging you down with me."

Valentine's head was hurting, and he could feel the air tightening around them.  _No…Nonono, not again…_ Nico was doing something to the air, he  _knew_ it. But how…how was that possible? His gaze locked on Nico's lips, which were stained with blood –  _Valentine's blood._ His mind felt like a melted slag and when he parted his lips to scream out loud, nothing came out. A tiny whimper escaped, and it only made Nico smirk. Valentine was inexplicably scared.

The rain was still falling down hard, and the thunder was only drawing closer.

It drowned the sound of Valentine's ear-splitting scream as Nico tilted his head and bit down ruthlessly, without warning, causing Valentine to jerk and slam his head back against the wall, teeth gritting in pain.


	10. Will

**Chapter 9 – Will**

Everything was dark.

Nico's head felt like it was full of cotton and his mouth was dry. So dry it hurt. He could tell he'd been drugged, but his body felt like lead and he couldn't even manage to get alarmed about it.

He tried to swallow, to lick his lips and relieve the painful dryness, but he couldn't.

His senses were all out of whack and he couldn't really get any kind of reading about where he was. It was all slippery, elusive, like a dream. Fear flooded him, thick and cloying.

Nico willed himself to move, to open his eyes, to sit up and rip at whatever bonds were holding him captive. He didn't know where he was, but he needed to get out or the people holding him captive better watch out because he was going to tear their freaking heads off.

As soon as he can figure out how to open his eyes. Damn… when did that become so hard, anyway?

Nico kept struggling and finally lights flooded his vision. Blurry shapes, indistinct lines coalescing slowly with effort. Fear and worry drained away from him with warm relief, because the first thing he saw was…Harold.

"H-…" Nico's voice croaked, his throat dry and aching. Before he could think about swallowing his own spit to wet his parched throat, a hand came flying down across his face, slapping him hard.

_Geez…what the hell was that for?_

Everything went quiet and for a moment, Nico thought the darkness was going to take him back in. "HAROLD, NO!" Nico heard a familiar voice scream out loud, just moments before he saw another hand flying toward him. This time, it was stopped just inches away from his face. Nico's face twisted in pain as he peered at his savior. Oh, thank god Violet was here.

Wait, where  _was_  here?

 _Where am I? What happened?_ Nico vaguely remembered flashing lights and the taste of something sweet… His heart suddenly started to race as the memories flooded back. Valentine… he'd drank Valentine's blood. He'd kissed and-…Nico shuddered despite himself. He'd  _kissed_ Valentine. Maybe that's why his mouth was so dry and tasted so foul. He almost smirked at the thought. Just almost.

Slowly, Nico was able to survey his surroundings. He was in his bedroom and  _god,_ someone had bothered to tidy the place up a bit. He was going to wring out the neck of the person who did it.  _Nobody_ was allowed to touch Nico's stuff. But first, he had to sit up…

Nico reeled in shock and pain. Ill-hidden panic flashed across his pale face as pain shot all throughout his body almost unbearably. He felt a hand gently shove him back down against the bed, "Try not to move, your body's still weak," Arielle's soft voice soothed him only for a moment before Ivan burst into the room, face slightly flushed.

"I-..Is it true, is he finally awake-…Oh  _god_ I could kiss you right now," Ivan ran to the bed where Nico was laying down, and Nico's eyes widened at the other vampires, as if to say ' _isn't anyone going to stop him!?'_

Unfortunately, no one did, and Nico had to squirm uncomfortably and hopelessly as Ivan planted a fat one against his cheek, right where Harold had so nicely slapped him.

"I'm going to kill you," Nico hissed at Ivan through gritted teeth, but the curly-haired boy merely grinned at him.

"Awww, Nicky, come on. You  _finally_ wake up after two weeks and the first thing you—"

It seemed to take Nico a moment to absorb what Ivan was saying and confusion flickered through his green eyes.  _Two weeks?_ He'd been out for two weeks?!

"Um, Nicky, you okay? You look a bit pale," Ivan said, pausing for a moment, then smiling as if someone had said a joke. Ha. Vampire. Pale. Get it? Ha. Haaha. Ha. Ivan coughed.

"Where's Valentine? Does he know about…" He looked up at the other vampires, and they seemed to understand what he was trying to ask.  _Does Valentine know that vampires exist?_  It's only obvious the halfblood would ask, since he'd been awake when Nico sank his teeth into that soft, sweet flesh…

A tense, miserably uncomfortable silence hung over the room. The four other vampires present were frozen, trying to avoid looking at anything, including each other. Violet shifted from behind Harold, one hand resting lightly on Nico's shoulder, "Nico…You don't remember?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, her expression pained.

Nico felt sick for a moment. Did something happen to that stupid halfblood? The blonde wouldn't forgive himself if he killed the kid, and the tension in the room wasn't making the bad feeling in his stomach any better. "Remember?" He croaked, frowning. "Remember  _what?"_ His eyes narrowed in frustration, "Where the hell is Valentine?" Not caring about the pain, Nico slapped Violet's hand away from his shoulder and made another attempt to sit up. Clenching his fists at his sides, the blonde ignored the waves of nausea that crashed hard through him. If Valentine died…  _No._ Nico simply refused to believe that he'd killed that pathetic kid during a hunger frenzy.

As he sat up, Nico realized there was a lot of stuff hooked to him. IV drips – filled with crimson liquid that he could only assume was blood – and other needed equipment. He wasn't wearing a shirt, though white bandages practically covered his whole abdomen and chest, all the way down to his hips. If Harold had used the same method to remove the poison as he did last time, Nico didn't even want to know where the man had bit him. He shuddered at the thought.

_Focus._

"N-..Nico, you're not ready to get up yet!" Arielle protested, quickly reaching over to remove the IVs from his arms before Nico could yank them out and make a mess.  _Why the hell weren't they telling him where Valentine was?_

Violet was suddenly in front of Nico, preventing him from standing on his feet. He'd already made it up this far, he wasn't going to give up now… Reaching forward, he tried to shove her out of the way, but she didn't budge.

"He lost a lot of blood, Nico," She started slowly, watching as Nico's irritated expression turned to one of confusion.

 _Oh god, he_ is  _dead._ Nico's chest was so tight he couldn't breathe. He was still reeling in shock. All he could see in his minds eye was Valentine's trembling body convulsing under his grip as he sucked the life out of him. His fault…Oh God…his fault…Rage, quick and hot flew up to cover the unbearable agony and his eyes were icy steel as they locked on Harold.

" _Idiot!_ Why did you save  _me,_ why couldn't you save him!?" His voice rasped raw, anger only just covering his broken and shattered insides, but the others couldn't see that. "You tried so hard to protect him for 12 years. So why  _friggin'_ let him die now?! What, was  _this_ what you meant by 'testing' him out to see if he was a halfblood?!" Nico almost trembled from the rage and hurt tearing him apart.

"Shut up," Harold ground out through his teeth, too worked up with Nico's bullshit to even come up with a better retort. He'd warned the boy not to touch Valentine, and he'd disobeyed. He thought Nico would be stronger than that, which is the only reason he'd allowed Nico to go on watch-duty that night. Clearly, he'd been wrong. Nico was weak. Weak, but… he didn't deserve to feel as bad as he looked. Reluctantly, Harold lowered his gaze. "Valentine's not dead, Nico. But he's not awake yet, either."

Nico's heart had almost literally stopped beating – and this time, it wasn't by will. There was no expressing the sheer, terrified panic that staked through him in that horrible moment. Nico was prepared to swear it had taken centuries off his life. "Wh-..what?" Valentine wasn't dead? Why the hell did these guys make it seem like…like…

_Because they're worried you'll just go and hurt him again._

Ivan must have read his thoughts, because he suddenly spoke up. "He's taking a bit longer to recover than you did, so it might be better if you just—"

Nico's glare hardened. "I didn't mean to bite him, alright? He just started bleeding, and I…" Nico's voice cracked.  _And I devoured him. I lost control. I vamped out._

Ivan lowered his accusing gaze, "I didn't mean that, it's just… He's conscious enough to hear us. You…You sort of scared him back there, Nico." His voice was gentle, sympathetic. "He was barely alive when we found him. And you…" Nico peered at Ivan, silently daring him to say anything. Nico would have at his head. "…You wouldn't let go of him. If we hadn't called to make sure you were okay out there in the rain, we would've never…You both nearly died. Was…was it worth it?"

_Yes. Every last drop._

"No. He makes a terrible midnight snack. I feel bloated." It was a pale shadow of Nico's usual sarcasm, but the fact that that was actually faintly, if painfully, a little funny threw the other vampires off. They didn't know how to respond. Nico didn't need them to. He shut his eyes for a moment, preparing himself for the pain, and took a step forward.

His insides felt like they didn't want to  _stay_ inside, but the pain was definitely subsiding. He couldn't remember how much he'd drank from Valentine, and he didn't even want to start thinking about how much poison had coursed through his veins. The other vampires immediately stepped forward to stop Nico from stressing his body, but Harold made a gesture telling them to leave the blonde alone.

It took Nico a lifetime to make it to his door. He ached so badly inside he could barely breathe. The others so desperately wanted to help him, but Harold's expression clearly told them to back off. They'd already done their part in healing Nico – for days, they constantly and so very generously shared their blood with him to keep him alive. Now, he had to heal on his own. Harold needed them to understand that.

Nico was smart and had already picked up the fact that Valentine was probably somewhere in their mansion. He doubted Harold would leave the kid alone back at his apartment. So without wasting any time, Nico fled past each bedroom, unlocking and pushing doors open. Only one door didn't budge – Arielle's door. Nico's knuckles turned white as he gripped the door handle, ready to dislocate it from the rest of the door.

"N-..No! Hold on, I have the key!" Arielle's long auburn locks flew behind her as she hurried to Nico's side. She slid a single silver key inside the lock, but paused before pushing the door open for her secret crush. "I…Nico, I don't think you're ready to—"

Nico shoved her out of the way and took a step forward, freezing at the doorway. Arielle closed her eyes, battling the butterflies in her stomach and the intense tightness in her throat.  _Don't lose perspective,_ she told herself as she quietly removed herself from Nico's path to let the boy absorb the sight in front of him.

The room was too empty. Yes, Nico could hear the bustle of noise outside the door as the other vampires caught up, the hurry of feet in the hall, muted voices, the small beeping of the machine Valentine was hooked to….Nico could hear what was being said three rooms down if he wanted to. But he had no interest in what was going on out there. His entire focus was on what was going on in here. In Arielle's room. And the room felt far too empty. Because even though he could see Valentine's still body on the bed, he couldn't  _smell_ him and his steady heartbeat was so weak, so faded.

Valentine's eyes were closed, the machines were practically breathing for him in soft, steady rhythm. He lay still and silent, and….it wasn't right. That kid was never silent. Even when he slept. Even when he didn't speak, there was always that annoying quirk of his lips or the spark in his eyes that spoke volumes. For one long moment, Nico actually expected Valentine to sit up and shoot him one of those lazy, nervous glares of his. A sarcastic remark, one endearing insult from those deathly still, pale lips. Nico practically willed him to open his eyes. To yell at him. Tell Nico it was his fault.

Please, just wake up.

But Valentine didn't wake up, leaving Nico alone in his guilt. He'd never truly harmed anyone he didn't  _want_ to harm. Sure, he wasn't fond of this guy, but he wasn't fond of losing control either. And he had definitely lost control. What he was looking at was just the result of his weakness, and Nico didn't like that. He couldn't help but wonder if it had been better if Valentine  _had_ died…that way, Nico could just be guilty for a while and eventually get over it. But now… that pale, weak face would just be a constant reminder that Nico had screwed up. He hated screwing up. He hated mistakes.

Nico's eyes narrowed in deep anger. Valentine was his mistake.

None of the other vampires seemed to know what was going on through Nico's mind as the blonde slid into the room and stood at Valentine's bedside.

Nico knew Valentine's will was strong. The stupid boy had always been strong inside – it's the only reason he'd lived through his parent's abuse, probably. It was the only reason he lived in a coma-state for 12 years without giving out. It was the only reason he was still alive  _now._ A small part of Nico knew that he despised the boy for being so strong – he'd felt that hatred the very moment Harold brought him in 12 years ago, which is why he'd so violently disagreed to taking care of him. Nico could only  _hope_  to have such strong will. It wasn't jealousy, it was just…annoyance. Irritation in what he didn't understand. Valentine's life was a mess, Nico didn't see why he'd want to live through anything. But, clearly, something was keeping him going.

He just didn't know what would keep him going  _now._ Valentine was a fighter, but what was he fighting  _for?_

Someone from behind Nico asked if he was okay, but the blonde didn't seem to hear. His gaze never left the dark hair that brushed the pillow, the dark lashes that brushed against Valentine's cheek. Valentine was shirtless, with only a thin sheet pulled up to his chin. Nico tugged the sheet down, just an inch, and froze.

Valentine hadn't just been bitten… he'd been bloody butchered. The faint scars revealed that he'd been bitten at least three or four times on both sides of his neck, and though the cut on the corner of his pale lips was barely visible, the scar left behind was much larger than he remembered it being. He'd always had the impression that Valentine could somehow heal bitemarks completely, but it seemed like this time the scars remained, as if to taunt him. Nico swallowed hard and pulled the sheet down a bit further, just a couple more inches.

"Nico, maybe you shouldn't…." Nico barely heard Violet's scared whisper as he eyed the thin scars trailing down Valentine's collarbones down to his chest.

" _Oh, stop your screaming, no one will hear you," the soft, raspy hiss from the other boy that barely sounded like Nico's voice sent an unexpected shudder down Valentine's back. He wasn't sure Nico was entirely conscious, and he definitely wasn't himself, but…he was right. Some part of Valentine had a feeling no one would hear his desperate cries for help under this rain, and he could feel himself resigning to accept that._

_Valentine gave up fighting and screaming and let the strange, dark mix of pain and fear take him, his head falling to one side, his heart thudding loudly as he let the other boy have way with his neck. He was too tired, so tired…_

_Nico continued to bite him and drink his blood in deep, needy droughts despite the burning sensation in his own guts. He knew the poison would soon consume him, but not before he consumed this delicacy first. He untangled his fingers from one of Valentine's hands and used his sharp nail through the boy's shirt, cutting through his skin in the process. He savored the boy's gasps, the taste of fear in his blood. Yes….more blood…that's what he needed. That's what would make him happy. Nico felt Valentine fading, but he didn't care as he cut at Valentine's collarbone area, his body shivering as he caught sight of the seeping blood._

_He felt so powerful, despite the burning sensation in his gut. Nothing could stop him. Nothing._

Nico's hands were shaking and the tip of the bed sheet nearly slipped from his trembling fingers. He had a feeling he didn't need to look any further down Valentine's body to know that he'd ripped the boy apart. He did not forget the raw, dark pleasure of drinking and tearing that flesh, it echoed strongly through him even now. The bloodlust had clouded his memories of the slaughter, but they'd come back soon enough. He didn't want them to.

"He woke up a few times," Violet's voice tore through Nico's suffocating thoughts. "He wasn't really conscious, he just… he asked about you." When Nico glanced up to meet Violet's gaze, she continued. "He wanted to know if you were okay."

If he was okay? If  _he_ was okay? The boy had practically been slaughtered out in the open, and he wanted to know if his near-killer was  _alright?_ This kid was so irritating, and so.. so…

" _Stupid,"_ Nico mumbled under his breath, his piercing gaze back on the still body. "Wake up so I can kill you properly this time," he scowled, pausing as if waiting for a reply from the taunting, pale face.

"He can hear you," Ivan pointed out quietly as he connected with Valentine's mind and sifted through his thoughts.

"Good. I was hoping he did."

* * *

Vincent pressed his hands over his ears, shaking, trying to block out the words. He couldn't do this. Maybe if it wasn't all so fresh and raw and his mind didn't feel like it had been run through a meat grinder, he could have handled things better. Maybe then he could have done what he knew what he needed to do. He could have nodded and acted like everything was okay and what Fitch was saying was a lie. Could have pretended that his son – his own  _son –_ wasn't a vampire murder weapon. He was so horribly hurt and confused, he just couldn't deal with the truth and Fitch was accidentally forcing him to do so while the wounds were still much too raw.

"Stop…" Vincent groaned, the unstable sensations unfurling inside of him, frightening in their intensity as they seared through his chest like a wave of power expanding outward. He screwed his eyes shut, swaying.

Fitch shook his head, trying to reason with his hurt friend. "You can't pretend it didn't happen. That girl's body was poisoned, and blood from your lineage was on her lips. It's only time before the Elders find out. When we find Valentine, you will have to—"

Hearing Valentine's name mentioned, being reminded of everything he had forfeited and lost just about broke him. He couldn't play this 'what will we do with Valentine next?' game right now. They'd been playing it far too long. "Stop! Shut up! Shut up!" he half raged, half pleaded. "I-…" his voice croaked and Vincent had to clear his throat with a cough before continuing, "I haven't even had the chance to speak with my boy…"

"You  _know_ that's not possible. We made a promise long ago to keep him away from our world, and—"

"Y-you don't understand what I'm saying, Fitch," Vincent slowly opened his eyes and lowered his hands, his hoarse voice a near whisper. His pained blue eyes fixed on his friend, as if expecting the other vampire to understand what was in his mind.

And somehow, Fitch did. And he didn't like it – not one bit. It was something they'd discussed before during evening conversations, but it had been a  _joke_ at the time. Vincent wanted to meet Valentine – not as his father – but as a simple acquaintance. Vincent knew he couldn't speak to Valentine without revealing his identity as his father, as a…vampire. However, if Valentine's identity was soon to be revealed to the Elders, the boy didn't have much longer. It didn't matter at this point if Valentine found out who his father is – Vincent just knew that he had to talk to his own flesh and blood, at least  _once._ Fitch's eyes widened as he processed what Vincent might be considering, "You don't…  _No!_ Vincent, it's too risky! The boy is already doomed, why must you place yourself in a situation with the Elders that will make them consider getting rid of you, as well?!"

"He is  _not_ doomed," was all Vincent muttered.

He was getting tired of these conversations with his dearest friend. If Vincent wanted to doom himself, then why can't Fitch just let him be? They had already lived far too long, anyway, and Vincent would gladly risk his life to his boy at least once. Fitch had never wanted children, he would never understand. He would never feel the pain of a father's worry over a son that was in danger.

It was a surprise when Fitch pressed a reassuring hand against Vincent's shoulder and gave the other a warm smile, "I hear there's a group of young vampires living near the area the girl's body was found. A large mansion, not far from the forested area. Perhaps you can start there?"

Vincent wasn't sure how to thank his friend. He felt guilty at heart for accusing Fitch of being heartless and misunderstanding, so all he could do was nod weakly. His son… was it really okay to finally see him? He wondered what he was like, if he had his strong chin, if he was eating well… Vincent swallowed around a lump forming in his throat. Was it finally time?

"Which vampires reside there? Anyone to be worried about?" Vincent knew they were far older than most vampires – they were nearly 500 years old, yet looked fresh in their early 30's. It was nothing compared to the thousand year old Elders. Still, that didn't mean he could underestimate the young ones. If anything, it was the young ones he had to worry about – they were still hunger-crazed and irrational in their actions. Like young teenagers with credit cards and fake .

Fitch looked deep in thought for a moment, "Harold is the oldest one, their guardian. He is perhaps one or two centuries younger than us. The others cannot be much older than a century, maybe a century and a half. They're nothing to worry abou-….  _Actually…"_ The man suddenly turned away, his gaze drifting off into the distance.

"What? What is it, friend?" Vincent pushed, growing impatient with anticipation.

"At a meeting not too long ago, Harold spoke of one of the vampires he resides with. A rash boy, just a bit under two centuries old. Dirty-blonde hair, striking green eyes. He said the kid had a death wish," Fitch lightly snorted under his breath. "A vampire with a death wish is a dangerous one, they always do  _stupid_ stuff."

Vincent could have rolled his eyes. "He hardly seems like a threat, but I'll be careful."

Fitch lightly chuckled under his breath. "It's just ironic, because the kid apparently originally died of suicide. Damn the vampire that revived him and decided to double his misery and make him  _immortal."_

Suddenly, Vincent's blood went cold and a chill ran through his body in shock. Suicide?

He recalled one time, just a few centuries ago, when he found a teenage boy just at the edge of eighteen years old. The boy had killed his parents in some accident that Vincent couldn't recall the details of. However, just after the so called 'accident', Vincent had found the boy slashing at his own wrists and flesh, screaming something about hating life and blah, blah, blah. Some teen angst. Vincent hadn't even felt sympathy for the boy – he'd felt nothing back then, really. It was just not very amusing to watch some kid cry over his life, so Vincent had taken it upon himself to shut the kid up and drink from his already bleeding body. It was basically a free meal, so why not? The boy hadn't even protested, hadn't tried to argue.

It was probably the most boring meal Vincent had had in a while.

In an attempt to spice things up, he gave the boy some of his own blood at the point of his death, turning him into one of Vincent's kind. The boy never forgave him and had sworn revenge, but that was centuries ago.

The boy probably found a way to kill himself by now, surely? Vincent didn't want to have to enter some revenge-seeking kid's house unarmed.

"Was the boy's name Nicholas?"

Fitch looked puzzled for a moment, and Vincent nearly sighed in relief.

That is, until Fitch chuckled lightly and nodded. "How did you know?"


	11. Temperature

**Chapter 10 – Temperature**

Three days had passed since Nico had awoken, and life could not have gotten any worse for Arielle.

For one, she hated the rain. The storm from the previous two weeks had settled down, though the constant afternoon drizzles seemed to put Arielle in a mood more toxic than snake venom.

And then there was Nico.

He'd been so quiet since his recovery – which was going fairly well. After losing so much of his blood considering  _most_ of it had been poisonous and therefore had to be removed, he was hungry various times throughout the day. At least now, he admitted to having trouble stomaching any of the frozen bags of animal and human blood that lay around the kitchen. For now, he could only keep fresh blood down in his system.

Of course, that seemed like good news to Arielle at first, but… it wasn't.

Fresh blood meant the other vampires had to share their own blood. Nico  _was_ picky about what he drank, and though none of their blood was apparently as sweet as Valentine's, he preferred Ivan and Violet's blood over hers or Harold's. According to him, Ivan tasted like pineapple and Violet like the summer ocean. Harold and Arielle – as quote by the blonde, taste like "math homework on a Friday night."

What a pig-headed, irritating—

"Ari…" Arielle's head snapped up at the grim figure that was curled up on a beanbag chair in the corner of her room. "Can you check his temperature?"

Oh, right. That was  _another_ reason Arielle's life could not have gotten any worse.

As if it wasn't bad enough Nico didn't like her blood, the boy had basically lived in her room the past three days, waiting for Valentine to wake up. She didn't understand; didn't Nico  _dislike_ Valentine? What the hell did he expect to say to the boy when he woke up!?

' _Oh hi, Val, nice to see you're awake two and a half weeks after I demolished your blood and nearly killed you. By the way, do you know where the nearest library is'?_

Ugh, it wasn't fair. Still, it was nice to have her little crush hang around her room. At least they talked once in a while. For example, sometime yesterday in the middle of the night, Nico told Arielle that Valentine probably needed a shower soon.

Yeah. Talked.

She didn't argue, though. Harold had been giving Nico a hard time, and despite everything that Nico had done – including the way he talked about her blood like it was the true poison – she couldn't hate him, and she felt a little bad for him. Harold loved them all and worried for them, but Nico made it very hard for Harold to do that for him. After eavesdropping on one of their little fights, Arielle picked up the fact that Harold had banished Nico from seeing Valentine unless he was supervised.

So that's what Arielle was doing now. Supervising. Babysitting, really.

With a sigh, Arielle stood up and went to check Valentine's temperature. A small fever had spiked sometime in the past two days, but no one was really concerned yet. Except Nico, who made a big deal and asked the rest of the vampires why he wasn't covered properly. Valentine had been covered fine, they all knew Nico was just trying to make up for his own self-guilt, so they let it slide.

But how long would Arielle have to keep letting it slide? Decades of years had passed, decades of letting it slide…

It made her wonder if Nico sat at her bedside like this when she'd been turned by his own fangs. Did he watch over her, ask if she was okay? She couldn't remember, but she didn't dare ask. Her and Nico never spoke of that night, really. The silence said it all – Arielle was grateful, and Nico was indifferent.

Much to her dismay, Arielle realized Nico had pulled his head up from where he was sitting, waiting for her to reply. She stifled a sigh. "100," she replied flatly, rolling her eyes when she saw Nico's hand curl into a tight fist in…anger? Frustration? Guilt? She wasn't sure.

Before she settled back down in her own corner, Arielle gazed at Valentine's throat and the side of his neck. The scars had all but disappeared, though the ones on his collarbone and chest still remained. A small part of her wondered how he'd even gotten those scars – it's not like Nico would have grazed his teeth near that area of Valentine's body…would he? Arielle's cheeks reddened.  _No, he probably used his fingers,_ she tried to persuade herself. Nico still hadn't told anyone the details of what he'd done to Valentine, and none of them really wanted to know. Especially not Arielle.

As she seated herself back down, Arielle slowly inhaled before speaking up, "Nico, it's been a while since you've been at school…" She watched the other boy's expression change to one of utter indifference, "Maybe it's better if you just drop out for the remainder of the year?"

None of them really had to go to school. They'd lived for a couple centuries, for crying out loud. Still, they all appeared to be teenagers and things grew boring without school, honestly. They moved around a lot, switching between various schools so no one could figure out they were ageless, but the only reason they stuck around this particular school so wholeheartedly for the past few months was so that they could watch over Valentine to make sure he was settled in. Now that Valentine hadn't been to school for nearly 3 weeks, they didn't see the point in going.

"Hm," Nico mumbled in reply, not really considering it. Arielle frowned. What the hell was this boy thinking about? Couldn't he carry on  _one_ decent conversation?

Before she could get too angry, Nico suddenly stood up, wincing only slightly at the pain in his stomach. He was healed, but he still felt like he had a huge whole in his gut where the poison had eaten away at his insides. "I'm going to watch some TV. Lemme know if anything changes," He mumbled, referring to Valentine's state.

Arielle nodded, releasing a weary sigh once Nico was out of her room. One finger twisted around a lock of her auburn hair as she glanced at Valentine and all the different things he was hooked up to. The boy had been so far gone by the time they'd found him, but his heart had still been beating faintly.

She secretly wished it hadn't been.

* * *

Valentine's fever only worsened over time.

Morning had passed and nighttime was nearing, signaling the fourth day since Nico's awakening but Valentine still hadn't woken up. There wasn't much anyone could do besides give him medication through IV, and so that's what they did.

By the end of the day, Nico didn't even bother to hang around Arielle's room. He was done worrying about what he'd have to tell the stupid boy when he woke up, and whatever happens…happens. If he's lucky, maybe Valentine won't even remember anything. It was a long shot, but it was worth hoping for.

It was a dull afternoon, and the vampires were all currently lounging around in the living room. Nico had taken an armchair and was curled up in it somewhat unceremoniously, while Ivan and Arielle were sharing an adjacent couch. Arielle seemed to be lost in thought as she lay on the floor, eyes fixed on the ceiling. For once, Harold wasn't too busy to join them, and he had taken over a small chair in the corner, a book in one hand. It was a quiet day. Too calm.

"You have any left?" Ivan inquired, casually poking at the box of chocolate covered biscuit sticks sticking by Violet's elbow. Her hand snapped down onto the box immediately, snatching it away.

"Hands off, you ate all of mine last time," she warned with a petulant look as she guarded her snack like it was gold.

"Hey, finders keepers…" Ivan teased with a shrug and a grin before turning back to the TV in front of them. Some show about hacking was displayed on the screen, though no one was really paying attention to it much.

After a moment of silence passed, Nico uncurled himself from the armchair and proceeded to stand up and straighten his shirt out. All eyes were secretly on him as he made his way to the staircase and disappeared inside Arielle's room. The others grew worried nearly immediately as they realized Nico was in the room alone with Valentine. Harold had set his book on his lap, his chin slightly raised as if deep in thought. But no one made a move just yet.

Once inside the room, Nico practically scowled before his hand even touched Valentine's forehead. The boy's face was hot to the touch, and his cheeks were deeply flushed with fever. Through his keen hearing, Nico was able to pick up strained, ragged breaths escaping Valentine's slightly parted lips. The stupid halfblood needed special care from a  _hospital_ , but the other vampires were too worried someone would detect that his blood was different. Besides, various vampires worked at hospitals and the last thing they needed was for word about a scentless human to go around. Still, what they had here in the mansion clearly wasn't enough. Though he was worried, Nico was slightly relieved Valentine's fever meant the boy would be out for much longer, which means he can just put his guilt away for now…

Feeling exasperated and tired, Nico left Valentine's bedside and slipped into Arielle's bathroom. Her bathroom walls had been painted pink and somehow, the place smelled  _great._ He didn't know why a bathroom needed to smell so nice, but Nico honestly felt like he'd stepped into a patch of flowers as he closed the door after himself, not bothering to lock it. He didn't see the need to. The others would know he was inside, and Valentine was well out of it. The bathroom was all his.

Without really realizing the fact that he had his own bathroom, Nico began peeling away at layers of his clothes until he was left in…well, nothing. He reached into the bathtub and turned the water on, letting it fill the tub as he squirted a bottle of coconut scented bubble bath.

It didn't take long before Nico was settled in the tub, completely surrounded by bubbles and a faint coconut aroma in the air.

It also didn't take long for him to lay his head back and drift into sleep.

Nico was so tired, which is why it was probably no surprise he didn't stir when the bathroom door creaked open and a certain someone stepped inside.

In fact, the only time he  _did_ stir was when he felt something warm and soft prodding at one of his fangs, feeling the sharp tip of the tooth. Pulled from his horribly deep sleep, Nico reacted on instinct and in half a second he had Valentine pinned to the floor, about two heartbeats from almost tearing his throat out. Nico was  _not_ the person to wake up mid-sleep. Fortunately, Nico came to his senses quickly and froze. He blinked, realizing whose face he was staring down into. Much more shakily than he would have liked, Nico pushed himself off Valentine, hating how intensely terrified he suddenly was that he could have accidentally harmed Valentine again.

"Sorry," he mumbled a bit hoarsely as he stood to his feet, "You probably should not wake me when I'm sleeping, it's not safe." It was then that he realized that he was still so very naked, with only a few bubbles covering certain areas. Valentine was shirtless as well, but now he had some soap against his chest where Nico had bounced on him. It was no wonder Valentine's face was practically beet red. Rolling his eyes, Nico grabbed one of Arielle's bright pink towels and wrapped it around his waist, covering his private areas.

Nico ran his hand through hair wildly mussed and spiky from being damp and being pressed against the bathtub. When the hell had Valentine woken up? He watched in curiosity as the other boy sat up slowly, his face flustered and confused. He knew a series of questions would come flying at him…  _Why am I here? Why did you bite me? Are you a vampire? Am I going to turn into a vampire now? How long was I out? Why-_

"You…have fangs…?" The words came out slow, as a question. Nico remembered the sensation of someone pressing against his fangs, and he realized immediately that Valentine had probably been the one to do so. So why the hell was he asking? Stupid.

Nico found it hard to reply, so he quickly looked away. "Yeah," he replied flatly.

"You…drank my blood…" Nico turned back to Valentine to reply, but the boy looked deep in thought as he finished his question. "…Right?"

 _Great, he remembers,_ Nico thought bitterly as he let out a soft sigh. Now, he had no choice but to explain  _what_ he was. It was something Harold had tried to avoid, but they had come to an agreement that Valentine would eventually find out one way or another. Still, Valentine looked sick and feverish and as much as Nico would have loved to give the other boy a heart attack, he couldn't bring himself to tell Valentine  _now,_ when it was so obvious he wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Sort of – well, yeah. I did. But it wasn't supposed—"

Valentine fought through his aching headache, "So…you're a cannibal?"

Nico nearly dropped the towel he was holding close around his body.  _This_ was not one of the questions he'd expected. Cannibal? Was this kid a  _moron?_ Did he really think Nico ate human  _flesh?_ Then again… it wasn't far from the truth. Besides, it's not like Valentine had been awake all 17 years of his life to realize there was such a thing as vampires…

Nico's glare turned soft as he slowly shook his head, "No, stup—" He bit his tongue, hard. "No, I'm not a cannibal. Look, I'll explain everything later when I get dressed. If you're feeling okay, go downstairs."

Valentine's gaze lowered to the ground. Downstairs? It took him a moment to realize he wasn't in his own apartment, and…and…where was he, again? Nico was here, but this wasn't Nico's room or bathroom… Oh god, had he been  _kidnapped?_

Panic welled up in Valentine's scratchy throat as he slowly stood to his feet. He didn't want to take a single step anywhere until Nico told him the truth,  _now._ He'd woken up just minutes ago and had managed to untangle himself from a bunch of strange tubes attached to him, and the first person he'd run into when trying to search for a place to piss was goddamn  _Nico._ It was the last person he'd wanted to see for a while for the sake of keeping his sanity but now that they were here, together, Valentine needed the truth  _right now._

Once on his feet, Valentine took a step toward Nico until they were a mere inches apart. " _What._ Are. You?" The words came out between impatiently gritted teeth. He didn't need any more crap, he needed the absolute truth.

Nico felt dizzy seeing the boy so close, seeing the fading scars across his bare chest. He knew he owed Valentine an explanation, but he couldn't do it here. He was practically  _naked,_ for crying out loud, and it wouldn't be long before the others found out Valentine had woken up. He had to get the stupid half-blood out of the bathroom before someone accused him of attacking Valentine, which is what he was considering doing if the boy didn't move soon.

"I told you, I'll tell you later—"

"Tell me  _now!"_ Valentine didn't know what came over him as he suddenly shoved his palms against Nico's shoulders, pushing the other boy.

Well, actually, he knew  _exactly_ what came over him. Anger. Pure, terrifying anger as flashes of  _that_ night came back clearly into his mind over and over again, haunting him. The burning sensation of having fangs pierce his sensitive skin repeatedly, the loud sound of Nico's gulps as the boy drew large amounts of blood, the unheard screams and useless struggles, the glowing eyes and blood-stained mouth, the pressure against his chest that permanently muffled out his screams and protests…the kiss..  _his first damn_ _kiss..._

Valentine had every right to be angry, didn't he? Nothing from that night made sense. Nothing from his whole  _life_ made sense, and he was so very ready to ventilate his anger on the only person he knew deserved it. He gave Nico's shoulders another shove, this time harder, and Nico's back hit the bathroom door.

Nico had  _not_ expecting any violence from the other male. He knew Valentine already thought him a monster and a jerk, so it wasn't as if he had any image to lose there but he  _definitely_ did not except Valentine to fight back  _physically_ and look so goddamn  _guilty_ doing it _._ The thought of the pathetic half-blood trying to push Nico around seemed hilarious, except Nico found himself unable to fight back.

"J…just tell me, alright? Y-..you're not human…"

A small shiver ran through Nico's frame. Valentine's almost pleading request seemed to reverberate through Nico's being and a shiver ran down his spine, settling in the pit of his stomach as he fixed a dark, questioning gaze on the other boy. Either Valentine had already learned how to play on his weaknesses and sympathies, or the half-blood was a lot more desperate for the truth under the surface than he allowed anyone else to ever see.

Nico's heart raced as he reached up and wrapped his fingers gently around Valentine's wrist, pulling the boy's hands away from his shoulder. Stepping away from the door, Nico nodded, "Fine, I'll tell you…" he mumbled something along the lines of  _'impatient brat'_ under his breath before continuing, "I'm…well, a vampire. Yeah, that. You—"

The door suddenly burst open before Nico could explain anything further, and four nervous vampires suddenly flooded the bathroom. Quickly, Nico released Valentine's wrists. Ignoring Nico, they all rushed to Valentine's side to make sure the boy was okay.

"Are you okay?! You look so pale, you should get back to bed—"

"Oh. Why are…you're both shirtless—"

"Ohmygod thank god you're awake in time to taste my lasagna—"

They all turned to raise their eyebrows at Ivan, who was now dressed in a kitchen apron.

"What?!" he scoffed, "I spent forever perfecting it, and he better taste it," He pouted, his sorrows soon forgotten as Harold brushed past the group of vampires to look at Valentine.

"You'll all have time to catch up with Valentine, but for now… can I speak to you for a moment, Valentine? Do you feel okay?"

Valentine had been forced to press his back against the farthest wall away from the door to avoid getting smothered with hugs and looks of awe. Slowly, he stepped away from the wall and nodded reluctantly at Harold. Nico's confession from moments ago hadn't left his thoughts, but Valentine was still confused about a million other things to let it haunt  _all_ of his thoughts just yet.

As Harold and Valentine made their way into a different room, the others pretended to be occupied with other things. When Harold locked the door after letting Valentine in, the remaining vampires scurried closer to listen in.

They weren't fooling anybody, Harold was well aware of their disrespect to his privacy.

The only reason Nico had slipped on a shirt and listened in with the others was because he'd just told Valentine the truth, and it would be moments before the stupid half-blood asked Harold about it.

"Here, sit down. You still look a bit out of it," Harold chuckled as he motioned for Valentine to sit on a chair. 'Bit out of it' was a misunderstanding – Valentine looked extremely feverish, and his breaths were coming out uneven. There was no reason to scare the boy, though.

"Um. Why am I here, Mr. Brigg?" Valentine finally asked, his voice low.

Harold tried not to wince at his false identity name. "I can only imagine your confusion right now. You're only here because I wanted to make sure you completely healed after….do you remember what happened, Valentine?" He asked, tilting his head to one side. His eyes were soft, reassuring.  _You can trust me,_ they said.

Valentine didn't trust him. He didn't think he could trust anyone living in this place.

He shrugged one shoulder, "Nico kissed me then stabbed my neck with a knife or something." Harold frowned at this. Valentine continued, "I remember seeing a lot of blood, and the pressure…" He frowned, placing a hand against his chest as he remembered the feeling, "There was a lot of pressure against my chest. I don't really remember much after that, I think I passed out." He shrugged again, giving more lies. He clearly remembered what had happened after the pressure tightened around him, he'd seen Nico's eyes turn red as blood started leaking out of his tearducts and nostrils…

From outside the room, there were a couple of sighs of relief as the vampires realized Valentine held no specific memories of Nico's vampire attack. Only Arielle didn't sigh in relief – she was still so very upset that Nico and Valentine had mouth-to-mouth contact.

Nico wasn't fooled, however, by the halfblood. Valentine remembered  _exactly_ what had happened, so why the hell had he lied to Harold? Nico knew he should have been happy considering this meant Harold wouldn't get on his case, but he wasn't.  _What the hell are you hiding, Valentine?_

"Ah, yes. Pressure rises in your chest when you lose a lot of blood," Harold replied. He was unable to tell if Valentine was telling the truth – the boy's heartrate was already high from the fever.

Valentine knew the pressure wasn't caused from blood loss, but he gave a weak smile and nodded. "How long was I out? I'm sorry if I caused any trouble," he mumbled. This, he wasn't lying about.

Harold gave the boy no warning as he stepped forward and leaned down, pulling Valentine into a warm hug. He pressed his chin against the top of Valentine's head, "You were out for almost three weeks. And you were never any trouble at all, Valentine. But…"

Valentine tensed in his arms until he was finally released.

"…I can't let you leave the mansion until we know for sure you're alright. When you were at the hospital, they told me you didn't have any close relatives. You're not strong enough to take care of yourself, and there's plenty of room here." He chuckled when Valentine's face paled. "Don't worry, I won't make you share a room with Nico again."

Valentine didn't know he'd been taken to a hospital, though now it made sense. There was no way these guys would have enough blood supply laying around to replace what he'd lost…did they?

" _I'm a vampire."_

Valentine shoved Nico's voice out of his head and kept smiling weakly at Harold. He'd just admitted to remembering Nico had made him bleed to death with a knife, yet Harold was okay with having Valentine stay over!? In the same place Nico lived!? Did….Did Harold know Nico was a vampire, as well?

_Maybe they're all vampires._

_Maybe I'm a vampire, too._

_Maybe we're all monsters._

Valentine shuddered. "Last time I stayed, Nico crept on me while I was sleeping," he pointed out, raising an eyebrow as if to say that he hadn't forgotten  _that_ incident just yet. "He's probably, like…in love with me, or something. Can't keep his gross hands off me. He even wore tweety-bird pants. Really, I think he's into boys. Well, me, in particular considering he won't back off."

From behind the door, Ivan, Arielle, and Violet's eyes were on a blushing Nico. Why the hell did Valentine make it seem like Nico was obsessed with him!? He just liked his blood, for crying out loud. Damn that stupid half-blood.

Harold found amusement in this and chuckled softly, "Maybe so. But don't worry, he's been warned not to hang around you without supervision. You can speak with him when you're comfortable. For now, you can sleep in Ivan's room for the time being. He's only harmful when you bring up cooking."

Outside the room, Ivan stifled a gasp of offense.

"But…I don't have anything to pay you back with…" Valentine's voice was low as he nervously tugged at the hem of his shirt.

Harold was quiet for a moment, knowing full well that Valentine had no money. He didn't expect any repayment, but there  _was_ one thing…

"Don't worry about that. Whatever is in this house is now yours as well. The only thing I ask of you is to never pick up the phone or answer the door. We each have our own keys and cellphones…And we don't welcome strangers in too easily." The last thing he needed was Valentine picking up the phone and have someone on the other end ask for 'Sir Harold the vampire".

Valentine frowned at this. He wanted to protest and say that  _he_ was a stranger, but his throat was burning and he so very desperately wanted to be alone for a while. So he merely nodded in silent agreement to the simple rule and stood up, allowing Harold to escort him out of the room.

When the door opened, the vampires, except one, had already scattered, leaving Valentine in an empty hall with Ivan. The strange curly-haired boy beamed at him before taking a hold of his hand and dragged him toward the kitchen.

"You must be  _famished,_ it can't be that healthy to live on IV food forever," he said as he made a face that clearly showed how disgusted he was. "But don't worry, I've been trying out this super cool lasagna recipe and I think…"

Valentine eventually managed to ignore whatever Ivan was babbling about and just let the silly guy pull him into a chair. Soon enough, Valentine was sitting with a small plate of steaming lasagna in front of him. He picked up the fork and prodded at his plate but didn't make any attempt to taste it. There was so much he wanted to ask Nico, but he also didn't want to be anywhere near him. It was contradictory, and Valentine eventually let out a long sigh.

Ivan didn't need to read through Valentine's thoughts to know that something was bothering Valentine. Something was  _distracting_ him. So eventually, he unwrapped the apron and placed it on the kitchen counter. "Val?" He placed a hand gently against Valentine's shoulder, drawing his attention. "Wanna go for a walk outside with me?"

Valentine hesitated. He didn't want to be left alone with  _any_ of these people, but Ivan seemed the most innocent out of the bunch. Besides, he felt like he was suffocating from thinking so much about Nico's confession. So finally, he gave a quick nod and a careless shrug then stood up, leaving the plate of lasagna untouched. Ivan mentally noted to himself that he'd scold Valentine later for not tasting his food, but he knew now wasn't the time.

It was dark outside. Valentine had to borrow one of Ivan's coats, despite it being a bit too tight. The two walked alongside each other for a good minute or two before Ivan finally cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Soooo, why'd you lie to Harold?"

Valentine's heart suddenly skipped a beat.  _How did he know?_ "I…didn't? What do you mean?"

Ivan would have normally loved to play the dumb game, but he wasn't really in the mood for it at the current moment. He'd easily picked up Valentine's thoughts earlier, and it was clear Nico had told him something about vampires because the word was practically screaming and echoing through Valentine's mind. He wasn't sure how much Nico might have told the boy, but the strange fact was that Valentine had kept it to himself. Ivan had a feeling the only reason Harold was even placing Valentine with him was so that he could keep an ear on his thoughts. Harold must have sensed he was lying, too.

"I mean…Nico told you something, didn't he? And you're keeping it from Harold," He said, speaking as if they were discussing something trivial like the weather. He shrugged, "You don't have to tell me, but I can promise you that I won't tell Harold, if you don't want me to. It just seems like you're distracted."

This didn't seem to calm Valentine at all, and he slowed his walking without realizing it. What if Ivan was one, too? A…a vampire. What if Valentine wasn't supposed to find out? Would Ivan kill him? Would he try to bite him like Nico did?

Valentine's blood turned cold as Ivan suddenly started giggling next to him. It wasn't a sarcastic or threatening laugh, it was just…. _What the hell was so funny?_

With his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter, Ivan peered over at Valentine, "Jeeeeeeze, chill out! You look like you just saw a vampire or something," He said, adding a wink when Valentine suddenly paled. "Don't worry, I won't bite your head off. I'm not Nico." Another wink. It didn't seem reassuring at all.

Valentine wrapped his arms around himself and the distance between the two boys seemed to grow as Valentine suddenly felt the need to keep a good couple feet away from Ivan. A moment passed and neither boy spoke up, though it was all too clear Ivan knew what Valentine was hiding. But  _how?_

Ivan seemed to sense that Valentine had once lost himself in a pool of thoughts, so he closed some of the distance between them as they walked, ignoring the skeptical look the half-blood gave him when he did so. "Look…you don't have to keep letting it bother you. You can ask me anything, I promise I won't hold anything back."

Valentine pressed his eyes shut with a soft exhale of confusion. There was so much he needed to ask, but how much of it was he really prepared to learn about?

 _I need to know,_ he told himself. Finally, his eyes fluttered open and he glanced at Ivan, the two making eye contact for a brief moment. "Everything. Tell me everything."

Ivan's jaw tensed. He knew he couldn't tell Valentine  _everything,_ but he'd do his best. And so he did. Starting from the very beginning, he explained how Nico was the first one to be found by Harold. Ivan didn't know many details about Nico's past except for what he occasionally picked up from his thoughts, but he made sure not to tell Valentine any of these details. If Nico had wanted any of them to know, he would have told them. All he said about Nico's death was that he'd been turned by some evil guy who'd bitten Nico just for the kicks. Ivan explained his own death to Valentine – a hit-and-run accident. He spilled all the details of how Nico was the one who had found Arielle and pulled her into their little so called family, and how Violet was the newest of them. He tried to explain how a human turned into a vampire, though when he discussed the details of biting and sucking blood, he felt Valentine tense beside him so he quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway, we all have really weird abilities," He said, returning Valentine's confused expression with a small smile, "Like I can sort of read thoughts."

Valentine froze in his tracks.

 _So that's how he knew…_ Valentine shuddered, suddenly feeling vulnerable and somewhat naked. He didn't even want to know how reading thoughts was possible, so he merely just nodded, giving Ivan the okay to keep talking.

Ivan chuckled, sensing Valentine's paranoia. "Don't worry, I only pick out the stuff that you're  _really_ thinking about. The stuff that stands out. Harold can put people to sleep for however long he wants. We used to joke around and call him the sandman, but he hates it so don't do it," There was a tone of amusement in his words, "Arielle's power is ironic considering she nearly died from drowning…she can control water and shift it around. It's cool until you get into a water splash fight with her," he said, now frowning as if remembering a haunting memory. "Violet's power hasn't really shown itself yet, so I can't tell you much. And Nico…"

Valentine suddenly stiffened. Everything had been so hard to take in, but this was the one thing that finally made sense.

"He can control pressure or something, right?" He asked, his voice low.

Ivan seemed surprised for a moment, then confused. "Uh, yeah, sorta…" His confusion disappeared and was soon replaced by a disturbed expression, "I'm guessing he used it on you a few times?" He chuckled, "He can control the pressure of the air we breathe. Since he's the oldest out of us, he has the most control over his ability which is probably good considering…" Ivan's words drifted. He wasn't sure Valentine was ready yet to hear about how Nico had lost control of his ability a few times when he was a new vampire. The people he'd accidentally suffocated...

"Anyway, that's about it. That's sort of why we all live together, and why we look up to Harold. He's sort of like a dad to us, and he takes care of us. If he hadn't…well, let's just say that not all vampires out there are as controlled as us."

Valentine snorted under his breath and before he could stop himself, he accidentally blurted out, "Nico doesn't seem controlled."

Ivan's gaze softened. He couldn't explain to Valentine just yet that  _he_ somehow had vampire blood coursing through his veins, making him very rare and practically one of a kind. Ivan didn't know much about halfbloods either to explain the cravings Nico must have felt, so he merely shrugged in response. "He was probably just really hungry, and you were there with an apparently bleeding lip, so…."

It made sense, so Valentine prepared to drop the subject. But, there was one more thing that was still bothering him… "But earlier, you said vampires could drink any vampire, human, or animal blood… so why did Nico get sick when he drank mine?"

These were not questions Ivan was prepared to answer. They were not questions he had answers  _to._ Throughout his explanations, he made sure to keep out everything about Valentine – the fact that he'd lost 12 years of his life sleeping in their mansion, the fact that he had no scent, the fact that he'd been abandoned… _everything._ These questions were not for him to answer. He twirled a lock of his hair around his forefinger and gave a careless shrug, "Indigestion?" He suggested, stifling a sigh of relief when Valentine nodded slowly, accepting his answer. For now.

They'd been talking for nearly an hour, and it was already dark out. Valentine's cheeks were still flushed and some of his hair was clinging onto his face – signs that his fever hadn't gone down at all. Ivan felt it was time to head back to the mansion before the others began to worry, so he placed a hand lightly on Valentine's shoulder to signal him to stop walking and turn around. The boy was still lost in thought so he merely complied, keeping quiet.

Valentine felt overwhelmed by the sheer rush of information and understanding flooding him. He could only imagine what these vampires had gone through. Ivan had left out many details about their turning, but these were things Valentine could see through Ivan's eyes when he had spoken. All these thoughts rushed over Valentine in a tangled web of feelings and impulses which seemed to happen all at the same time, taking only moments to form and process. In a way, he felt bad for the vampires – they'd all died at a young age, and the only way for them to get a second chance at life was to be like  _this._ Blood-craving beings that can't age…

"W-…wait… if you died and came back as a vampire…you haven't aged at all since your death, right? So how old…how old are you?" Valentine felt goosebumps rise on his skin as Ivan suddenly laughed at his question.

The curly haired boy reached over and draped an arm around Valentine's stiff shoulders, "Old," He said with a wink. "That's sort of why we can't hang around the same school or area for too long. People eventually start to notice something's up."

Valentine wanted to ask exactly how old they were, but there seemed to be a few other more important questions running through his mind. Before he could ask anything else, Ivan's arm suddenly pulled Valentine closer to him, making the halfblood slightly tense and tremble under his grip. Ivan could understand why he was scared – he'd just admitted to being a blood-sucking creature, for crying out loud. Still, he'd already promised the boy that he wouldn't hurt him, so why couldn't Valentine just relax?

"Anyway, you never answered my question. Nico told you what he was, but you pretended not to know when Harold asked you. What's up with that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. It was hard to sift through Valentine's thoughts and reach for an answer, and he figured the boy would finally answer him now that he knew nearly everything. Nearly.

Valentine's blue eyes lowered to the ground as they approached closer to the mansion. "I don't know," he mumbled softly. "I think when I was out during those weeks, I could hear some stuff…Something about Harold getting upset if I were to find out about, well….vampires."

Ivan chuckled lightly, "Yeah, I can imagine he'd be a bit upset when he finds out I told you. But don't worry, I think he already had a feeling you'd find out eventually since we've been keeping you around for a while."

Valentine frowned at this. Why  _have_ they been keeping him around, anyway? It was another question he wanted to ask, but he was honestly growing too tired and overwhelmed to try and understand anything else.

"Anyway, it's okay if you tell Harold I told you everything. Nico probably needs a break from getting all the blame," He added with a teasing wink, "He won't be as upset with me. He just worries for Nico, that's why he's tougher on him."

Valentine nodded stiffly at this. The mansion was finally coming into view and almost immediately Valentine felt a sense of dread washing over him. He was going to stay the night at a mansion filled with blood-eating machines….No, not machines,  _people._ Still, that thought wasn't any more comforting. Based on what Ivan had said, they could smell human blood from miles away. Did that mean he was practically a free meal lingering around their home, leaving his scent everywhere? He shuddered at the thought.

The air around them seemed to thicken as they approached the sidewalk that lead to the mansion's front door. Ivan had grown quiet and when Valentine glanced up at him, he realized the vampire was frowning. Strangely enough, he'd never seen Ivan frown – the boy was all smiles and winks. The sudden change gave Valentine a bad feeling in his stomach as he traced Ivan's line of sight.

The mansion door was open. A strange man was standing outside, speaking to Harold and Arielle. As they drew closer, Valentine examined the features of the man from behind – he had dark black hair and broad shoulders connected to a lean body. Valentine's eyes narrowed in curiosity but before he could quietly ask Ivan who it was, the arm draped around his shoulder suddenly tightened and Ivan was suddenly very pale under the moonlight.

"What?" Valentine asked, his voice a low whisper as Ivan guided him to the side of the house, where they were hidden from view. But…why did they have to hide? "What's wrong? Who is that? Wh—" Before Valentine could whisper anything else, a hand came flying down against his mouth, quickly shutting him up.

Valentine started to glare at Ivan, but the boy seemed shaken up. His hand never left Valentine's mouth as he finally spoke up, his reply sending multiple shivers down Valentine's spine.

"Val… that's the vampire who turned Nico."


	12. Quack

**Chapter 11 – Quack**

"So you're not going to invite me in? I was only hoping to ask a question or two, I won't intrude for too long."

None of the vampires knew what the hell Vincent Faye was doing at their home, but it couldn't have been a good sign.  _Especially_ not now, when word that a halfblood was possibly in the area had been going around. It was only obvious Vincent had come to seek out the halfblood, but none of them had been prepared for it.

They could only be thankful that Ivan had taken Valentine out for a walk.

"Now really isn't the time," Harold remained expressionless. Vincent was  _much_ older than him, and therefore posed a threat. He couldn't allow the man to be anywhere near the teens, especially not Nico. He knew full well about Nico's past with Vincent, and he was willing to place his own life on the line to protect Nico from this vampire.

Vincent was well aware of the tension in the air. What he'd done in the past was in the past, but clearly this bunch of vampires still seemed to hold a grudge. He'd changed so much since those days, but he knew confessing that was just useless – they wouldn't trust his word alone. But Vincent didn't need their trust – he only needed to seek out his son and if these guys knew anything about Valentine, he needed to get it out of them,  _now._

The elder vampire knew he didn't need an invitation to be allowed in. He was far too powerful for any of them to stop him and it's not like he wanted to befriend them. So with a charming little smile, Vincent pushed himself between Harold and the auburn-haired vampire girl that had been trembling since he'd first approached the door. Eventually, the two stepped out of the way, allowing Vincent inside.

"Nice place," was all Vincent said as his gaze scanned the area. There were various scents in the house – there was at least five people living in the area based on the scents he picked up, though only four were in sight at the moment. Two had been at the door, and another vampire girl was fiddling about in the kitchen. None of these vampires seemed to interest him as much as the blonde-haired boy curled up on a nearby couch did. Vincent approached the couch and tilted his head in amusement. The boy's eyes were closed and he appeared to be lost in a deep sleep. He looked exhausted.

As Vincent drew closer to the couch, Harold felt a deep anger rise up into his chest. He was the only one that understood most of Nico's past, and he did  _not_ appreciate how Vincent's expression seemed  _amused,_ almost  _playful._ Nico wasn't his toy, and Harold was prepared to step in at any moment and remind Vincent that he was in  _his_ house. These kids were  _his,_ and no one was allowed to toy with them.

"Well I'll be honest, I'm surprised you've kept the boy alive this long, Harold." Vincent said, sensing the man's stress and anger without having to look at him. He reached down and brushed a couple of blonde strands of hair away from Nico's closed eyes. They fell back down, and Vincent hid a tiny wry smile. "But it looks like he's tired himself out. Unfortunate. I was hoping I'd get a chance to speak with one of my favorite…. Donors."

Harold grit his teeth. Nico had  _not_ been a donor to Vincent. The boy had suffered and had wanted to end his own life, yes, but Vincent had taken advantage of that fact and now he seemed to find amusement in bringing up the past. Had Vincent come just to start a war with Harold? If so…

Vincent smiled weakly at Nico, suddenly appearing very tired and worn out. "Don't worry, I didn't come here for him. I came for an entirely different matter. In fact…" He stepped away from Nico's couch and finally made eye contact with Harold. "I was hoping you'd shed some light on the subject of the halfblood. Surely, you've heard of his existence by now?" He watched Harold's face carefully, absorbing his every blink and twitch. Lying to Vincent would be impossible.

"Of course," Harold replied truthfully, ignoring the wide-eyed stare Arielle was giving him. "Ever since the strange death of that vampire girl out in the forested area nearby, we've been getting visitors like you asking about the half-vampire." It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the honest truth. Vincent narrowed his eyes.

"Oh? And what do you typically tell these 'visitors like me'?" Vincent asked curiously, his voice somewhat mocking.

"That I have no idea what they're talking about," Harold replied flatly. He let out a mocking chuckle, "Come on, Vincent. A halfblood in the area? That's some fairytale, not reality. Someone is probably just trying to disrupt the peace in our world."

Vincent seemed unperturbed. "Hm. You may be right," he said carelessly. His gaze shifted back to Nico's sleeping figure and a smile appeared against his lips when Nico suddenly frowned in his sleep, as if sensing something was wrong. "But if you are wrong and this halfblood  _does_ exist, you wouldn't hide anything from me, would you?" His cold eyes never left Nico's face though he was still speaking to Harold. "I feel a personal connection to that half-blood, a connection  _much_ deeper than you can understand. If you dare mess with anything of mine…"

It was a velvety threat and they both knew it. Harold didn't understand what sort of 'personal connection' Vincent could possibly have with Valentine, but he could only imagine that it was just Vincent's power-hunger speaking again. Vincent was always seeking power, and finding something as rare as a halfblood was the pure, raw definition of power. Of course he would want to make Valentine his.

"Ah, well… You wouldn't like if I messed with what belongs to you, would you?" Vincent asked, raising his eyebrows. Harold was seething though his face hardly showed any signs of it. Vincent was still peering down at Nico and very slowly, he bit down on his own thumb before bringing it down to Nico's lips. He lightly traced his bleeding thumb against Nico's lower lip, watching in amusement as the blonde flinched and licked absentmindedly at his lower lip, drawn to the sweet taste. It was only a moment later that Nico's eyes suddenly snapped open and he jerked upright, the familiar taste on his lips sending deep shivers down his whole being.

"Vincent. Stay away from him." Harold's words were filled with venom as Nico's eyes widened in confusion and surprise, then…fear. It was very rare that these emotions ever showed on Nico but at this moment, they were  _very_ clear on his expression.

"No harm will come to him, don't worry." Vincent replied gently, his gaze still on the disgruntled blonde. "Unless you keep anything regarding the halfblood away from me, that is."

 _Half-blood?_ Nico's tired eyes narrowed in hatred, "What, already found yourself something new to mess with? Have you grown bored of innocent humans already?" He was still faded from his nap, but he didn't care. All the pent-up hatred he'd had for this man had always turned into fear, but not this time. He would remain strong. He would not show his fear. The air around them crippled as the pressure rose, and the other vampires seemed to notice the presence of Nico's power because they all stiffened and it suddenly grew quiet.

Vincent seemed enlightened that Nico dared challenge him. "Something like that," he said with a wink that made Nico want to swallow back his words. He barely flinched at Nico's display of abilities, though he was mentally pleased to notice that his powers had matured. "I'm pleasantly surprised that you've kept yourself alive this long, actually. It's only been a few years, hasn't it? But then I do lose track of time occasionally…"

Nico knew the older vampire was subtly but intentionally emphasizing the vast age difference between them, clearly equating Nico's youth with lesser experience. Still, his jaw tensed sharply and a raw knot of fury fisted in his chest at the other vampire's careless words. Of course, it had become difficult to kill himself once he'd turned into a vampire and eventually he gave up on the idea of wanting to end his own life… yet here Vincent was, still mocking Nico for the past.

"Really? I had no idea you were getting so senile. This should be easier—" Nico's retort was suddenly cut off as Vincent stood up, easily able to resist Nico's power on him. He was far,  _far_ stronger than Nico, did the boy actually expect to faze him?

"Now, now, Nicholas. As much as I'd love to chat and hear about the new ways you've tried to kill yourself lately, I really can't stay long," He reached over and gently ruffled the top of Nico's head, further messing up his messy blonde locks. "Just make sure to let me know if you hear anything about a half-vampire, half-human." And with that, Vincent stood up and made his way out the door.

Nico realized he was starting to hyperventilate and quickly attempted to regain control. Vincent  _wanted_ to unnerve him, he could  _not_ give him that satisfaction! But how could he sit there quietly when he'd just confessed out loud the reasons of his death? He'd made Harold promise never to speak of it in front of the others, but now the truth was out thanks to this damn vampire. He sucked his breath in and clenched his eyes shut, feeling the uneasy stirring inside him, the restless echoes of whatever lay behind the door in his mind. Unease churned inside him, threatening to destroy the peace of the moment.

Why the hell had Vincent come, after all these years? What the hell did he want with Valentine? Nico pressed his eyes closed. Everything was going so wrong, it wasn't supposed to be this way, but then, he shouldn't be surprised, should he? Everything had a tendency to go wrong as soon as Valentine was involved, and Nico would have done well to remember that.

As the door shut behind Vincent, the tension in the air decreased abruptly and Nico wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, the taste of Vincent's blood still lingering in his lips. The blood that gave him the life he'd so desperately wanted to get rid of… Nico could feel the others' gaze on him as he let out a shaky breath and leaned his back against the couch. He didn't have to look at their gazes to know they were filled with sympathy. Pity.

He hated those gazes.

Minutes passed before the door flung open once more, and nearly everyone in the room held their breath in anticipation of the fact that Vincent had returned. When Ivan poked his head inside, sighs of relief escaped everyone's lips.

"Sooo, what was  _that_ all about?" Ivan asked as he kicked off his shoes and stepped inside, Valentine following close behind. The half-blood kept his gaze low as he took off his own shoes and jacket, unable to face anyone at the moment. He didn't pay attention to what they were saying, too busy caught up in what he'd learned that night.

Harold broke the silence first when it seemed like no one else wanted to speak up, "It was Vincent. I think he knows about…" His gaze shifted to Valentine for a moment but the boy was occupied with taking off his shoes to notice. Ivan seemed to understand so he nodded at Harold. "But he's not really one to side with the Elders, so I wonder why he's suddenly so interested…I'm going to go make a few phone calls," he mumbled, already disappearing to another room.

Ivan had been the only one to understand bits about Nico's past, so he reluctantly made his way over to the blonde and settled down beside him. Nico stiffened, preparing himself for another look of pity. He didn't need their damn pity, what he'd done in the past was in the  _past._ It's not like he was still suicidal. Couldn't they just leave him alone?

Still, Nico didn't give Ivan enough credit. Ivan was well aware of how hard Nico had kept his past a secret, and he understood that Nico did not need or appreciate any pity regarding it. That didn't mean he didn't need to be comforted. Reaching over, Ivan flicked some hair out of Nico's green eyes, "Jeeze, did you fall asleep on the couch again? You've got a bunch of sleep wrinkles now," He pointed out, grinning at the unamused blonde boy. It was evident Nico was having a hard time trying to calm down, still, and it didn't help that Valentine had returned – he still had some explaining to do, and he doubted Valentine would leave him alone about it.

Valentine felt out of the picture. Harold was somewhere in another room, and Ivan seemed to be busy with Nico. Violet was still messing around in the kitchen, and Arielle… well, Valentine always felt paranoid around Arielle, like the girl was always staring him down or something.

He was completely left out. Valentine ached to be back in his apartment, but he'd already promised Harold he'd stay. Besides, his headache was only growing worse and his throat was feeling extremely dry. He was in no condition to go anywhere on his own.

Eventually, he found Ivan's room on his own and settled in a far corner of the room just as he'd done when he'd stayed the night in Nico's room.

Just in case.

* * *

Sometime in the middle of the night, someone had woken Valentine up and helped him lay down on something soft. A bed. Valentine was so tired and so damn  _hot,_ he couldn't seem to remember much of it.

He was, however, thankful.

Unfortunately, no matter how comforting the bed was, Valentine couldn't stop from trembling underneath the covers. His body was hot. It burned… but not with pain. No… not pain… It was quaking with desire. Raw. Intense.

His heels dug into the mattress…silk sheets…slippery, they gave him no purchase. He was trying not to scream but the heat burned in his chest, as if something was trying to claw through his ribs to get out. A few strained coughs escaped his lips, straining his parch throat. There was a deep craving in his chest that he couldn't even begin to understand, and a loud groan escaped him as the pain only intensified. He wanted to open his eyes but he felt so weak, too dizzy and too hot to even do that much.

Something beside him moved around and a hand was suddenly on his aching chest, making him wince and dig his heels further into the mattress. Blazing white hot panic speared through the halfblood and he tried to blindly struggle backwards, but his legs were tangled up in the sheets and…  _someone else's legs._

"Whoa,  _whoa,_ hey… it's me, Ivan. You're dreaming, Val. Come on…" a soft, sleepy, familiar voice penetrated Valentine's trembling panic but the burning sensation flooding his body did not disappear.

Ivan was lying beside him, leaning up on one elbow now as he blinked sleepily at the half-blood. The vampire's curly brown hair was wildly mussed from the pillow and sticking up at endearing angles. His half-lidded eyes were a little questioning. When he took in Valentine's panicking state and his sweating body, Ivan suddenly sat up.

He could practically feel the heat from Valentine's body despite them being inches apart. Valentine's shirt was sticking to him from all the sweat and his breaths were escaping as strained little wheezes. Something was wrong.

"Holy shit, you're burning up bad," Ivan mumbled unintelligently under his breath as he struggled to reach over to the other side and turn on his lamp light. Once some light flooded the room, Ivan kicked the bed covers to the floor and sat up on the bed to examine Valentine's trembling body. His fever had somehow worsened overnight and Ivan had absolutely  _no_ clue how to make it stop. Vampires didn't get sick like this unless they hadn't been fed in  _months_ and even then, the symptoms didn't seem to be as bad as Valentine looked at that very moment. And it's not like they had human medicine around the house, so Ivan truly had no idea how to deal with this.

Harold had announced a trip he had to make the previous night, and he'd be out for at least three days. Ivan doubted the others would know how to treat Valentine's stupid fever, but they had to do  _something._

"Shit, shit, shit,  _shit,_ can you not die on me?" Ivan's hands shook as he rolled off the bed and escaped into his bathroom, returning moments later with a small towel he'd rinsed in cold water. Leaning over, he dapped it against Valentine's burning face but it didn't seem to be any help. Valentine let out a pain-filled whimper, his fingers clenching weakly into tight fists as he gripped the bedsheets.

It hurt so bad,  _god,_ it hurt.

Not knowing what else to do, Ivan quickly bit down against his own wrist and placed it against Valentine's lips. He knew vampire blood healed and he'd seen Harold give Valentine blood  _many_ times to keep him alive – of course, he'd been asleep all those times, but now wasn't the time to think about the details. Besides, Valentine already knew about vampires. It's not like Ivan would have to explain much.

"Come on, drink, Val," Ivan murmured quietly, pressing his wrist down against Valentine's chilled lips. The boy's eyes were still closed, his eyebrows frowning in pain. Ivan's words didn't seem to register, and neither did the disgusting taste that was suddenly filling his mouth. Valentine moved his head to the side, trying to spit the disgusting substance out, but Ivan gripped his chin and kept him locked in place, forcing him to take in the blood that could heal him.

The taste of blood burned Valentine as it filled his mouth and travelled down his throat, stifling all his attempts at protesting. Strangely enough, Valentine felt himself regain some strength and slowly, his eyes cracked open. Ivan was staring down at him with wide eyes, his chest heaving, his face pale and yet flushed at the same time.

When their gazes met, Ivan slowly released Valentine's chin. "Ah….oh crap…" He mumbled vaguely under his breath, his eyes fixed on Valentine's glowing blue eyes. Eyes only glowed like that when a vampire was feeding or was hungry, but up until this moment Valentine had seemed so… _human._ It made sense Valentine would get this feverish – his vampire side seemed to have woken up somehow. Ivan tried not to panic as he slowly lifted his wrist away from Valentine's lips.

Broken from the life saving connection, a pained groan escaped Valentine's lips immediately and he laid still on the pillow, ashen – a waxen doll slipping from life. He felt so weak, so hot all over again…

Ivan swore silently. Gritting his teeth, he dipped his wrist back to the halfblood's lips, "Ughhh, Val…don't give up," he murmured, both commanding and cajoling, his chest heaving. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep, sharp breath as he felt teeth suddenly graze against the puncture wounds on his wrist. He suddenly remembered what that article had said – about a halfblood's bite being able to paralyze. They still had yet to prove it was true, though Ivan felt a bit nervous about being the test subject for that matter.

" _Valentine…"_ it was a small, hopeless whisper as Valentine's trembling fingers wrapped around Ivan's arm, pressing his wrist closer. He wanted to stop Valentine soon, and he was honestly starting to worry about what would happen if he  _didn't._ It was clear Valentine was somewhat enjoying the blood now.

Valentine didn't know when it had happened. The disgusting taste in his mouth had slowly turned  _sweet_ , and he wasn't even sure what he was doing anymore. He was still so out of it, but the burning sensation had disappeared and was replaced by a strange, euphoric feeling that made his insides buzz. He could hear Ivan mumbling something, but Valentine's ears didn't seem to register anything. The scent of something sweet was filling the air, and  _goddamn,_ why did it feel so good to brush his teeth against Ivan's skin? He grazed the skin gently with his teeth over and over again until finally, he let the tip of his teeth pierce the skin lightly. He could feel Ivan tense, but something like a sigh of relief escaped the other's lips after a moment.

"Looks like the article was only half-right," Ivan mumbled in slight, sarcastic amusement as he felt no different when Valentine's teeth pierced his skin.

The red on Valentine's cheeks eventually disappeared and when the boy's grip on Ivan's wrist tightened, signifying that he was getting too lost and too deep into his feeding, Ivan gently placed a hand against Valentine's chest and pushed him down. He pried his arm away from Valentine's grip and surprisingly enough, the half-blood let him go.

Valentine blinked, disoriented and giddy, almost ill. Ivan's blood had done the job intended – it had healed his strange fever, but his body was still quaking and in shock, even as the vampire blood now coursing strongly through him induced a state of incredible, dark euphoria. The clash of sensations, of weakness and strength was staggering and not something his body was designed to handle. Valentine felt like maybe he was going insane.

Though Ivan felt slightly panicked and was still only half-awake, he managed to offer Valentine a weak smile to comfort him. "You better still eat my lasagna," he pointed out in an attempt to lighten the mood. Valentine seemed to be aware of what he'd just done, and the boy was paling all over again.

"Wh-…Oh god….I'm s-sorry Ivan…" He could still taste the fresh blood on his lips and though it was somehow sweet, it didn't settle well in his stomach. He'd just drank blood… _blood._ That thought alone was enough to make him sick. Slowly, he pushed himself up into a sitting position and the second his eyes caught sight of Ivan's wrist, which was stained with dark blood and a few puncture holes, Valentine's eyes began to sting with tears.

Ivan quickly noticed this and his smile widened, though it was obvious it was strained, "Hey now, don't worry about it. It was my fault, I made you drink it. But do you feel better?"

Despite his aching chest and confusion, Valentine  _did_ feel better. Slowly, he nodded in reply. "B-…but it tasted-…I…I liked it," He stammered, not understanding what he'd just done.  _Ivan_ was a vampire, not  _him._ So why the hell had he enjoyed his blood?!

Ivan didn't want to be the one to break the news to Valentine that he was some rare being, more magical than, say, a….unicorn. So he gave a tiny shrug instead and nodded, "Hey, I'd be offended if you didn't!" He sniffled, pretending to pout as he hugged his wrist against his chest. "I'll have you know that my blood is  _very_ good tasting, thank you very much."

Valentine wasn't sure if Ivan was joking or not or if this was one big nightmare. He didn't understand the situation but his mind so desperately wanted to accept what Ivan was telling him so he just nodded, accepting it whether it was a joke or not.

"Come on," Ivan said, extending out his other hand for Valentine to take, "Let's go clean this up." He didn't have to mention his wrist or Valentine's mouth for the halfblood to understand what he meant. Valentine nodded, hesitating briefly before taking Ivan's hand.

Before Valentine was even completely off the bed, the door suddenly burst open and a duck walked in.

Okay, well, not a duck but a very angry Nico  _dressed_ in one.

The onesie was mostly yellow, with just a white middle. Attached was a hood that had big duck eyes and an orange beak and as Nico stepped inside the room, the two surprised boys could make out a small duck tail attached to the back.

Ivan couldn't hide his laugh, "Awww, Coco, you're wearing a onesie!" He knew of Nico's adorable taste in pajamas but the blonde hardly ever let the others see him dressed in them. Valentine just stared, not sure whether he was more surprised by the duck onesie he was wearing or at the fact that Nico looked ready to murder. Both seemed equally terrifying.

"Shut up, Ivan," Nico hissed almost immediately, his gaze fixed on the arm that Ivan had pressed against his chest. "Is everything okay here? I smelled…" He froze, his gaze moving to Valentine. The boy had tried to shift to one side, his head slightly tilted as he attempted to hide his face.

Nico gave Ivan a disturbed look before approaching Valentine. Placing a hand on the halfblood's shoulder, he whirled the boy around and gritted his teeth at the sight. Valentine's lips were stained with blood and a few drops dotted the corner of his lips as well as his chin. Nico almost immediately recognized that it was Ivan's blood, and this made him frown.

"He was getting really sick," Ivan explained, knowing Nico would make a big deal soon enough if he didn't, "He literally looked like he was about to die, and I panicked. I didn't really have much of a choice."

Nico's glare disappeared and his gaze softened at hearing this piece of info. "Oh," He replied. Of course, Ivan had failed to mention that Valentine had  _liked_ the blood and had  _glowing eyes_ and  _fangs_ but that was something to discuss later, when Valentine wasn't looking so damn guilty and confused.

Ivan looked like he was going to add something. He hesitated for a moment, then turned to Valentine, "Bathroom's right there. You can go wash up first," He said, giving Valentine one more reassuring smile. The halfblood knew Ivan wanted to tell Nico something in private, though he had a feeling it would be about him. Still, he wanted to desperately get rid of the blood on his lips, so he disappeared into the bathroom in Ivan's room, shutting the door after himself.

"Holy cow, Coco, he  _is_ a vampire," Ivan burst out into a whisper as he lowered his wrist, revealing the puncture wounds. Two of the holes had been made by him, but there was another set of tinier puncture wounds that Valentine had made. "He knows about us, but he has no clue he's one of us. We need to call Harold."

Nico's anger seemed to return almost as quickly as it had appeared, "Wait, wait,  _you told him?"_ he slapped a hand against his forehead, "Oh, man. This isn't good."

Ivan rolled his eyes, "Oh, please, you told him first about you. But, anyway, Harold—"

" _Doesn't_ have to find out. Look, word's obviously out that Valentine's around here so the less more of us know, the better. Between you and me, we can give him blood if he needs it," Nico hissed, not wanting Harold to be involved in this at all. Harold would definitely blame him for everything.

Ivan, on the other hand, thought Nico was going nuts. "Are you  _crazy?_ Why do we have to hide him!? We already knew he was part-vampire, so what if he decided to show it just  _now?_ We were sort of expecting it," he pointed out.

Nico rolled his eyes, "Idiot, if he's one of us, he's going to have to live  _with_ us. We can't even drink his blood, and everything about him is so goddamn  _annoying."_

Ivan could have burst out laughing if Valentine wasn't just a room away, " _Seriously?_ Come on, he's not too bad. I kind of like having him around."

Nico wanted to strangle Ivan. Having Valentine around meant reminding him of that delicious blood, it meant reminding him of the way he'd lost control. It meant Vincent might come by again. It meant another vampire mouth to feed, another excuse for Harold to blame Nico, another thing that he didn't understand. It meant too many things, and Nico hated that. Why couldn't things just remain simple?

"Yeah? Well I  _hate_ having him around," Nico hissed back.

The bathroom door clicked open, and Valentine stepped out. His face had been washed and dried, though he still looked utterly devastated.

"Great, the idiot's back," Nico mumbled under his breath as he ran a shaky hand through his dirty blonde hair.

"Go quack yourself," Valentine mumbled under his breath.


	13. Potato

**Chapter 12 – Potato**

"So if you can smell blood from a distance, can you tell when girls are on their…you know?" A blush colored Valentine's cheeks.

At this point, Nico truly wished all his suicide attempts had succeeded in the past. At least then he wouldn't have to deal with these ridiculous questions. Still… he had to admit, they were the same questions he'd had when he'd first turned. Well, some of them.

Valentine still hadn't picked up on the fact that he was a vampire, and was still only very interested in the fact that he was currently  _living_ with vampires. Somehow, even after learning all that, it didn't make the whole talking-to-Nico thing any less nerve-wrecking.

"Yes, idiot. I can tell when they're on their period. Honestly, what guy  _can't?_ They get so bitchy," He mumbled under his breath.

"Does it make you hungry?"

"You're disgusting," Nico gave him a face.

" _Does it?"_ Valentine repeated.

"Yes, alright? Menstrual blood is  _still_ blood, but a bit dirty. That doesn't mean I'd go around drinking period blood, but it's not like it smells completely disgusting either." Nico turned away and proceeded to jump into the pool, splashing Valentine in the process.

It was the afternoon following the night Valentine had drank Ivan's blood, and things seemed to have finally calmed. Despite everything, Valentine had avoided speaking about that day and the day Nico had nearly killed him, and well…basically  _any_ day that involved drinking each other's blood. Somehow, he felt like avoiding talking about it would mean avoiding the truth. However, what he could not avoid was the fact that he was in a home filled with vampires, and he'd been warned not to reveal to anyone except Nico and Ivan that he actually  _knows_ about vampires. It was silly, but he complied.

He had to comply – Nico had threatened to shave all of his hair in the middle of the night if he didn't.

Now, they were somehow getting along. The girls were inside the house watching a movie and discussing which celebrity would taste the best, while the boys had found entertainment outside in the pool. Ivan was somewhere in the 8 feet deep end – apparently, vampires didn't really need to breathe but holding their breath was  _very_ uncomfortable and sometimes painful. Ivan had been under the water for about 4 minutes now. Nico was finding amusement in diving consistently, if it meant splashing Valentine every time he asked a stupid question.

And trust Valentine to ask some of the silliest questions.

"Does your own blood taste good?" Valentine asked, curious.

"Duh, is that even a question?" Nico asked as he climbed out of the pool and prepared to dive in again.

"So technically, you have a limitless supply of blood if you can just keep drinking your own blood, right? So why do vampires starve?" He raised his arms over his face, covering himself from the large splash Nico's cannonball had caused.

The dirty blonde's head popped out of the water moments later and he shook his head to get water off his face, "No, stupid, it doesn't work like that. I don't know how it works, alright? Vampires are just humans with sexier faces and a knack for blood. That's all I know."

Ivan resurfaced from the deep end of the pool and swam closer to where Nico was, "Whooooooooooo! I think I was down for six minutes. New record?" He grinned. He caught sight of Nico's unamused face and the grin only widened.

"Join in, Val, the water feels nice," Ivan swam to the edge of the pool and extended a hand in a weak attempt to reach over and grab Valentine's foot.

Nico climbed out of the pool once more, "He doesn't know how to swim," he stated flatly, enticing a glare from Valentine. It was true, though. He couldn't swim and he honestly couldn't recall ever being in a pool. He had a feeling that if he drowned, Ivan would be too distracted by a squirrel or a strange cloud shape and Nico just...wouldn't care.

"Aw, come on, I'll teach you," Ivan pouted, crossing his arms against the pool's edge.

"Your teaching skills are as bad as your cooking skills," Nico mumbled under his breath as he jumped into the pool, once more successfully splashing Valentine despite him having moved a few feet away.

Ivan looked offended for a brief second before he ignored Nico in favor of convincing Valentine to join. "Ignore him. Come on, you can even stay in the shallow end. Puh-leaaaaaaase?" Ivan pouted his lower lip and with a roll of his eyes, Valentine finally stood up to join.

Nico had resurfaced and was climbing out of the pool for the umpteenth time when he caught sight of Valentine taking off his shirt. His eyes immediately drifted to the faint scars that still showed on his chest, and he quickly tore his gaze away before the guilt could show on his face. He snuck up behind Valentine and a dimpled smirk appeared on his features seconds before he placed both hands against the small of Valentine's back, shoving the boy into the 6 feet end before he could even completely take off his shirt.

"Dude, he's going to  _kill_ you," Ivan laughed, his gaze scanning the area of the pool Valentine had landed in.

"I'm already dead," Nico pointed out in a mumble. Ivan grinned, but a bad feeling was rising in Nico's chest when Valentine didn't immediately resurface.

Valentine hadn't seen it coming. He'd managed to hold his breath at the very last moment before his head was swallowed by the water, but a sudden chill made his whole body tremble at the feeling of being completely enveloped and surrounded by the pool water. His arms flailed and his feet kicked but before he could resurface, a complete darkness clouded his mind.

" _You didn't deserve this life, do you know that!? You don't deserve your father, or me. You don't deserve anything you STUPID kid," a women in her early twenties was screaming at him. They were in some sort of small bathroom, and he was sitting fully clothed in a bathtub that was filled to the rim with water. His face burned and his tiny body ached. Traces of bruises covered his arms and legs and the clothes seemed to be weighing him down, making it harder to keep his head above the surface. He knew better than to try and struggle, though._

_His mother hated seeing him struggling out of one of her punishments. But what was he getting punished for, again? Oh, right. For living._

_He tried to mutter out an apology, but a hand came flying down across his cheek, stopping him. "Shut up, I don't want to hear an apology from you. If only I'd destroyed you before you were even a clot…If only I hadn't listened to Vincent…" Another hand came flying down, and a few drops of blood leaked out of his nose, landing on the water and diluting quickly. "Now I'm stuck with this monster child… I hate you…" His mother gripped his arm tightly enough to bruise, "I hate you…" She pulled him down, the water filling his nostrils and mouth quickly. He was drowning, quickly._

_He couldn't breathe, his heart was aching, his lungs were strained, the buzzing in his ear was growing louder…_

" _I hate you, Valentine…"_

"VALENTINE!" Ivan's eyes were wide in shock as Nico resurfaced with Valentine in his arms.

Nico was quickly kicking them back to the surface, blinking water out of his eyes. He was merely annoyed, but the boy in his arms was terrified, clinging to the vampire, coughing, spluttering and unintentionally scratching him as he tried to stay above the water. Moments later, Valentine suddenly stopped struggling and went absolutely still. Nico struggled out of the water and hurried several feet away from the edge of the pool, clutching the sodden, frighteningly unmoving bundle in his arms to his chest. His lungs and muscles burned from the ferocious strain of dragging Valentine up from the deep end. He felt drained, but resisted the urge to tremble as he dropped to his knees and gently lay Valentine's body down on the ground.

 _Don't die, you loser…_ Urgently but carefully, Nico leaned down and pressed his lips against Valentine's as he started administering CPR, trying to be cautious of not applying too much pressure to his achingly fragile chest. To their relief, Valentine's body convulsed after only a few moments. As Nico rolled him onto his side he threw up water, coughing, choking and now shaking hysterically, but obviously very much alive.

"Is he okay? Is he gonna be okay?" Violet turned huge, anguished eyes toward Nico and he glared at her. They shouldn't have to worry this much about the brat.

"He's fine, he's breathing. He's just scared," He assured. He wondered what would have happened if they'd let Valentine remain underwater – he  _was_ part vampire, after all. Maybe he'd live?

Next to Violet, Arielle had an alarmed gaze but a faint blush against her cheeks. Nico was shirtless, and his toned arms were visible from the strain of carrying Valentine… Goddamn it, why did Valentine get to touch those lips  _again?_

Valentine was shaking uncontrollably. He didn't know what happened, he was just glad that strange flashback or memory or dream or  _whatever_ was gone. It had felt so real, and the face of that woman felt so close, so realistic… God, why was his heart beating so fast? Who was that lady and how did she know his name? Who was that pathetic boy in the bath tub? Who was Vincent?

Vincent…

The name seemed to ring a bell somewhere in the back of Valentine's mind, but he was too shaken up to sort through his memories. Slowly, he sat up and finally gazed up to the worried gazes that were waiting for him to say something. "Uhm… sorry," he mumbled feebly.

Nico punched Valentine's leg, "Learn to swim, moron. Next time I have to perform CPR on you, I'll make sure your lungs burst," he hissed.

Perform CPR?

Valentine instantly blushed and the back of his hand rose to his lips, as if he could wipe the contact of their lips away. Nico gave him a brief warning glare and he quickly lowered his hand. "I, uh…thanks?" He mumbled, rubbing at the spot where Nico had punched him.

There was a hand on his shoulder and Valentine looked up, his gaze landing on Ivan, "What happened down there? I thought I saw you coming back up, but you just stopped swimming and you just…sank."

"Don't know," Valentine replied quietly. It was the honest truth. He  _didn't_ know what had happened or why he suddenly had that strange dream or whatever it was, but he knew that he never wanted to experience ever it again. "I'm fine now," He added, despite his uncontrollable shaking.

"Sweet. Anyyyyy-way, as I was saying, I think Dylan O'Brien would definitely make the hottest vampire." Arielle said as she linked arms with Violet and dragged her away. Soon enough, both girls had disappeared back inside.

"Jeeze, you know how to ruin everything," Nico mumbled under his breath as he stood up and looked around for his shirt. He'd lost his appetite to keep swimming and it was starting to worry him that Ivan was suddenly very quiet. He was only this quiet when he knew something the others didn't, which means…what? Valentine had just simply drowned because he was incompetent, right? He raised his eyebrows at Ivan, but the boy just replied with a faint smile before walking to the edge of the pool, where he sat and dangled his feet inside. He was clearly deep in thought. Nico figured it'd be pointless to worry about it – Ivan would tell him sooner or later, if it was important.

Valentine was on his feet now, but he was too shaken up to move any further. Nico seemed to notice, and he smirked, "What, do you want me to hold your hand while you shower, too? Or can you handle that much water on your own?"

Valentine stifled the urge to glare. As much as he disliked Nico right now, he  _did_ save his life…then again, he was the one who'd pushed him into the water. God, he was so contradictory.

"You kiss me twice, then ask if you want to hold my hand in the shower? Jeeze, at least grow a pair and ask me out first."

As Nico broke into a run after Valentine to punch the lights out of the smart-mouth, Ivan remained where he was, deep in thought, haunted by the flashes of thoughts he'd picked up from Valentine when the boy had nearly drowned.

* * *

Once they'd all showered – separately, that is – and cleaned themselves from the pool water, the boys joined Arielle and Violet in the living room.

Valentine had managed to obtain a large new bruise on his upper arm thanks to Nico but luckily, the boys had worn themselves out from chasing each other for a good while. Unfortunately, while they had managed to wear themselves out  _physically,_ they were still verbally ripping at each other's throats.

"You know, you hit me so much. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to find a way to keep your hands on me." Valentine started to sit on the nearest small couch, but Nico was suddenly ahead of him. The vampire quickly lunged himself into the couch that Valentine had laid his eyes on first and spread his legs out across it until he was taking up the whole thing.

Valentine gritted his teeth but said nothing as he plopped down on the floor, seeing how all the other sofas and armchairs were taken up.

"No matter how much you try to convince yourself that I'm obsessed with you, it won't actually happen," Nico said as he reached down and patted Valentine's shoulder in mocking sympathy. "Anyone who actually  _likes_ you is a stupid fool."

"Shut up, no one even likes you either," Valentine mumbled under his breath, knowing the words were false as they came out. Nico was far too popular at school, and it wasn't because of his haters. Many people loved Nico, even  _adored_ him. But school didn't seem to matter anymore at this point, seeing as how none of them had really gone for nearly a month. Harold had made up an excuse for them, but it was unlikely they'd return.

Valentine knew he wasn't part of their group and would have return soon enough, despite how much he realized he never fit in school.

"That's a lie, and you know it," Nico replied, too worn out to even put any hatred or venomous tones into his words. "Besides, at least I have nice hair."

Valentine frowned at this. Sure, his hair was slightly messy but it was nice too…right? "That's nice. You should let me borrow some of that dog shampoo you use someday."

"Go ahead, it might fix that that mop of yours."

"I can't stand you," Valentine mumbled, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

"Bite me," Nico hissed under his breath.

Valentine had started to get up to find a new spot to sit in since apparently they weren't going to stop going at each other's necks. As he stood up, Valentine waved a hand dismissively at him, "No thanks, I'm not into the biting fetish like you."

Nico and Ivan seemed to exchange looks for a moment at this. Both seemed to read each other's thoughts – ' _Oh, yes you are, Valentine… yes you are'._

* * *

"You going to tell me what's been bothering you all day, or do I have to punch it out of you?"

A faint, mirthless smile tugged at Ivan's lips. Of course. He knew Nico would eventually ask, but Ivan had honestly been hoping to let the night pass without anything else go wrong. It was well past 2 AM and the rest of the mansion was asleep, but Ivan had felt restless and was now keeping himself busy by trying to make a past-midnight snack. He had tried his best to stay quiet, but apparently he hadn't tried hard enough because a groggy-looking Nico had just stepped into the kitchen.

Nico had not slept particularly well either. Since Vincent had come to visit, Nico felt a strange weight on his shoulder, like he'd somehow  _lost_ to the older vampire. Nico hated losing, especially to someone that had made him lose multiple times in the past. It made it difficult to have a peaceful night of sleep, and sounds from the kitchen had been enough to stir him. Now in the kitchen, he could tell Ivan had been bothered by something as well.

"Don't worry about it," Ivan replied as he added a large spoonful of flour to a bowl of… _something._ Nico could never tell what the hell Ivan was ever trying to make.

Ivan knew Nico was already disturbed by something else and his mind was elsewhere – he didn't need any extra stress. Besides, what Ivan was worrying about was something he had a feeling Nico wouldn't care too much for.

"Well, your loud ruckus down here woke me up," Nico partially lied as he settled himself on one of the kitchen chairs, "So you owe me, now tell me."

Ivan let out a soft sigh in surrender. "It has to do with Valentine…" Ivan stifled a tiny grin when Nico let out a low groan of displeasure at the sound of that name. "I think he's getting his memories back."

Nico fiddled a tiny napkin between his fingers and a small frown appeared on his face. "Doubt it. He only remembers stuff in his dreams and even then, he wakes up completely forgetting everything he dreamt about."

Ivan was quiet for a moment. "I don't think he forgets them. They're stored somewhere in his mind until something triggers the memories…"

Nico stopped fiddling the napkin for a moment. He paused and looked up at Ivan with raised eyebrows, wondering what he meant. "Are you implying something triggered a memory?"

"No… well, maybe. I don't know," Ivan let out an exasperated sigh as he walked over to the sink to wash his hands. He lost his inspiration to whip up a quick snack. Wiping his hands on the side of his pants, he made his way over to Nico and settled on a chair across from him. "When he drowned earlier, I heard him thinking about his mom. Something about not being good enough and then drowning… I don't know."

None of them really knew what had happened in Valentine's past. When Harold came in that night with a bruised up boy that had been abandoned, they'd all assumed that he'd come from an abusive family. But from Valentine's frequent nightmares, they slowly picked up over time the fact that the abuse had been caused by his  _mother._ Valentine never mentioned his father even once during his night terrors, but that just left more questions for the vampires. Still, they knew they had no right to interfere and instead had just stuck with making sure Valentine forgot the past and lived a good future.

Though that plan seemed to be quickly failing.

"So what if he remembers? Worst that'll happen is that he'll turn into some emotional pancake," Nico shrugged. He definitely did  _not_ want to be around if Valentine turned into some depressing potato that hung around the house.

"Or…he'll found out that we kept him away from his real family and reality for more than twelve years, and he'll hate us for life," Ivan mumbled, suddenly seeming very gloomy.

Great, because one depressing potato wasn't enough.

Nico snorted, "So what? I doubted he ever had a real family. I don't even think he would have lived much longer if Harold hadn't found him. He should be thankful we kept him alive for that long."

Ivan eyed Nico in mild exasperation. "I  _know_ you don't hate him this much, so what's the deal with you? Why are you so rough on him?"

Nico set the napkin on the table and crossed his arms as he leaned back against the chair, "He's just irritating. He's a big boy now, I don't see why we have to keep holding his hand." He let out an irritated sigh, "I mean, seriously…out of all the abused kids out there, Harold had to pick up the fucked up one, didn't he?"

Before Ivan could chuckle and offer a word to defend Valentine, something in Nico's pocket began to vibrate. Reaching down into his pajama pocket, Nico pulled out his cellphone and held it against his ear, frowning at whoever called this late at night.

Ivan watched in curiosity as Nico mumbled 'yes' a few times, then a confused expression spread all over his face. Moments later, he clicked the phone shut and slipped it back into his pocket. Ivan raised his eyebrows curiously, and Nico looked like he wanted to vomit.

"That was Harold. He wants Valentine out of the mansion before sunrise, doesn't matter where we take him." Nico seemed very displeased, though Ivan didn't understand why until a moment later. "He said the Elders are coming to visit."


	14. Almonds

**Chapter 13 – Almonds**

"Oh, no way. Nooo way. Nico is not taking him." Arielle stated flatly, her eyes wide in panic. "How can you even  _imply_ we leave them alone together?" Yes, those two were dangerous together because they were always at each other's throats, but… Arielle gritted her teeth. They were also dangerous together for another reason that made Arielle burn with jealousy.

"Oh come on, your concern is so misplaced. The Elders will know something's up if more than one of us is gone, and I  _need_ to stay behind to make sure I can read their thoughts. Violet can't take him because she's still unstable and—"

Arielle waved a hand dismissively at Ivan, cutting him off, "Fine, then  _I'll_ take him! But you  _know_ we can't leave Nico and Val together, they'll hardly make it out alive."

"I'm still here, you know," Nico growled under his breath. As much as it displeased him to have to be with Valentine, he knew he'd be the one to hide the boy far away. He was the strongest out of all of them and he knew how to protect.

They were all very aware of this, but they were also aware that Nico was incapable of protecting  _himself_ and keeping his fangs off Valentine.

Still, they didn't have much time to argue. Sunlight was streaking slowly in through the curtains and it wouldn't be long before the Elders paid them a visit. Harold had been  _very_ discrete and rather vague about the whole matter, but they knew that it only meant they had no time to waste. Violet and Arielle still did not know that Valentine had drank Ivan's blood and proved that he was as vampire as any of them. They didn't understand the importance of either Nico or Ivan accompanying him, and there was no more time to explain.

"Get everything ready, I'm going to go wake him up," Nico muttered, already making his way upstairs to Ivan's bedroom.

It wasn't hard to find the bundle laying on the edge of the bed. Sunlight streaked slowly in through the curtains and Valentine lightly stirred in his sleep. He was laying on his back, his legs tangled up in the sheets. Valentine's dark hair was lightly mussed from the pillow, full lips parted just slightly.

Nico grinned deeply as he slid into the bed next to Valentine, "Time to wake up," he whispered, shifting closer until there was barely any space between them.

Valentine heard the words but didn't seem to connect them to a voice. He mumbled something inaudible and rolled toward the warm body that was beside him, but stopped when a hand grabbed his shoulder, keeping him from cuddling against whatever was next to him on the bed.

Slowly, Valentine's long eyelashes fluttered open. He was confused for a moment as he stared into someone's clothed chest and very slowly, his gaze shifted up until he caught sight of Nico's irritatingly familiar face.

There was a moment's pause, then Valentine screamed.

Nico didn't bother to hide his amusement and he grinned, quickly rolling off the bed to avoid Valentine's kicks.

Somewhere downstairs, Ivan's eyebrows shot up at the sound of the scream. "Well. Looks like Val's up," He had a feeling Nico was being a douche again, but there was no time for that now. He needed to prepare a few bags of blood for the trip…

"What is  _wrong_ with you?" Valentine mumbled as he pushed up to sit, running a hand through his hair.

"You're the one who suddenly got all weird and came all close to cuddle," Nico pointed out, still cheerful from having successfully scaring Valentine. "Anyway, get dressed. We're going out."

Valentine opened his mouth to defend himself and point out that Nico was the one who'd joined him in the bed to begin with, but Nico's latter words drew his attention. " _We?_ Like, all of us?" He stood up, frowning. "Where to?"

Nico rolled to the edge of the bed and grabbed a stray towel from Ivan's floor, "First, shower. I'll explain after," he said, tossing the towel in Valentine's direction.

Valentine blinked, feeling disoriented and breathless as he caught the towel and gave a weak nod. He didn't know what the sudden trip was for, but if showering meant he wouldn't have to deal with Nico so early in the morning for a few minutes, then it was a blessing. He escaped into the bathroom without another word.

Valentine was in the shower for quite a while. Finally Nico heard the water shut off and the soft sound of terrycloth shifting against itself as Valentine pulled a towel from the rack and dried off behind the curtain. A few moments later the halfblood emerged from the bathroom, hair tousled and the towel wrapped around his waist.

Emerald eyes quickly sought Valentine out, then slid away as Valentine padded silently across the floor of Ivan's bedroom. "You didn't have to wait," the halfblood murmured, finding it strange Nico was suddenly sitting quiet, looking distracted.

"Shut up and put on some clothes." Nico patted the small bundle beside him. Valentine eyed it curiously for a moment before reaching over and grabbing the pile of clothes. As Valentine sorted through the bundle to pick out a shirt, Nico stifled a small gasp as he took in Valentine's appearance. Nico had good control in most situations, but seeing Valentine so close to him, practically naked, the towel wrapped teasingly around his hips, dark hair damp and spiky from the shower, small, missed droplets of water glistening on his pale skin… it made Nico's internal temperature sky rocket, and he didn't even know why.

Fortunately, Nico didn't have to think about it too much because Valentine was soon covered in one of Nico's shirts. The white design on the front of the loose gray t-shirt showed the outline of a large garlic bulb with the words 'Bite Me' printed sardonically underneath. Valentine glimpsed down at the shirt and something like a resigned sigh escaped his lips.

"Very funny," he mumbled under his breath as he grabbed the pair of black jeans and fresh underwear and escaped into a corner to slip them on. Once dressed, he made himself visible to Nico once more.

Nico grinned before he could stop himself, ducking his head a little in amusement that Valentine had actually worn that particular outfit that he had picked out for him. The snarky tee made a very amusing sight hanging from Valentine's graceful shoulders, but the halfblood wasn't going to show his irritation – Nico had let him borrow his clothes, he should be grateful…right?

"A few dangerous vampires are coming by later today, and Harold doesn't want you around them," Nico explained somewhat bluntly. Short, sweet, and to the point.

Dangerous vampires? Valentine had been hanging around the mansion for a few days, he'd nearly forgotten that not all vampires were this welcoming. Valentine blinked at Nico. Or, well,  _nearly_ this welcoming. Still, why would it matter if Valentine was around or not? He was just some human, it's not like the 'dangerous vampires' would be any more dangerous to him than they would be to any other mundane guy.

"Um, why?" Valentine asked, a few hairs rising on the back of his neck when droplets of water from his hair fell down and slid down his shirt.

"Doesn't matter, we have to follow Harold's orders," Nico replied, though it was only part of the reason why he knew Valentine couldn't be around the Elders. If they realized Valentine didn't have scent, they would definitely have questions. Sending Valentine back to his apartment was too dangerous since neither Nico nor Ivan understood his hunger habits yet. They couldn't risk leaving him alone just yet. Not wanting to answer any more questions, Nico stood up and walked toward the door, "Come on, we're running behind."

Valentine was confused and curious, but he reluctantly followed Nico down the stairs anyway. When he realized no one else except Nico and himself were dressed, he suddenly froze and his eyes widened, "Wait…we're not all going?"

Were they  _crazy?_ They were going to let Nico drag him off to god knows where, on their own!? There was never a time when Nico and Valentine were left alone and something good happened.

"Of course not, dumbass. Someone needs to be here when the  _visitors_ come." Nico kept his words vague, knowing that Arielle and Violet still didn't know Valentine had been filled in about vampires. He didn't want to say anything further on the matter so he brushed past everyone and went straight to the front door.

Feeling panicked, Valentine sped after Nico to ask him more questions but paused when he neared the door. No way these guys were going to let them go alone…right?

He turned around, his gaze desperately seeking help from the others. The vampires avoided making eye contact with Valentine but finally, Ivan stepped forward and lightly patted Valentine's shoulder, "Don't worry, it's just for a few hours. I prepared some snacks for you guys for the trip," he added with a wink, though it didn't make Valentine feel any better. "Just don't forget your seatbelt…" he lowered his voice, "Nico's a crappy driver."

Somewhere from outside the mansion, someone's muffled yell that sounded like 'I heard that!' induced some chuckles from the vampires inside.

Valentine didn't understand why he had to leave. He didn't know why it couldn't be another vampire that took him, why it had to be  _Nico_ out of all people. He didn't know what sort of 'dangerous' vampires there were, and he definitely did not know why he'd agreed to wear this stupid shirt. But before he realized it, the vampires had ushered him out of the door and slid him into the front seat of a small, grey Corolla that looked too new for 'a crappy driver' to be driving.

Nico slipped into the driver's seat and wasted no time in starting the car. Before he drove off, he snapped a finger in Valentine's direction and shot him a glare, "Seatbelt." It was an order.

Hesitantly, Valentine clicked his seatbelt on and pressed his back against the seat of the car, wishing he could just disappear into it. God, he'd just woken up and the sun had barely risen, but he was going to die soon, wasn't he?

"Stop looking like someone just murdered your cat. Weren't you fine just yesterday?" Nico, of course, was referring to how they'd verbally came at each other nonstop yet managed to keep their hands off one another.

"Yeah, but we weren't alone," Valentine mumbled under his breath, his gaze never leaving the window beside him. He watched as the mansion disappeared from view. He was certain that if he said any snide remarks back to Nico, he would definitely not survive the day. "At least tell me where we're going?"

Nico hid a smirk, "I would, if I knew. The whole point is to get lost." When Valentine peeled his eyes from the window to give Nico a dumb-founded glare, Nico grinned. "The vampires coming over are pretty old. Everyone calls them the 'Elders' because...well, they're old as hell. Like thousands of years old. They're all powerful and mighty and blah blah blah but the point is that they have a pretty strong sense of hearing and smell and we need to go pretty far if we don't want them to detect you."

Valentine frowned, still not understanding. "Why does it matter if they know where I am?"

Nico's fingers tightened around the steering wheel but he forced himself to remain patient. "Dunno, alright? You can ask Harold when we get back." Of course, he knew why, but he wasn't about to tell Valentine he was some special thing every vampire would literally  _kill_ to even look at. Honestly, besides that he was half-vampire, Valentine was pretty freaking lame. But apparently, the Elders didn't think so and it appeared they wanted to find out if Valentine was anywhere near Harold's mansion. They wouldn't be able to smell him out, but the Elders always had a way of cheating through things. Always. It was better to be safe than sorry.

"Yeah, if we make it back alive…" Valentine mumbled sardonically under his breath as he reached forward to increase the radio's volume. Nico had left it on so low, Valentine could hardly recognize the song. The moment he turned it up, though, Nico scowled and smacked Valentine's hand away from the radio. He quickly decreased the volume.

"I have sensitive hearing, you prick," He hissed, rubbing at his ear. It took him a moment to realize Valentine's hearing senses weren't as strong as his despite him being half-vampire. Jeeze, he really was a pathetic excuse of a vampire. So much for being something special and rare.

Valentine's eyebrows burrowed in a frown as he rubbed his hand where Nico had smacked it. He remained quiet for a moment longer before tilting his head at Nico, "Where did Ivan put the snacks?" Valentine wasn't exactly hungry, but at least he'd have something to chew on to pass the time.

Nico raised an eyebrow but pointed a thumb at the backseat. Valentine peered over his shoulder and saw a small blue cooler and a bag beside it. Through the bag, Valentine could see a few boxes of granola bars and cereals, but he quickly lost interest in those as he instead focused on the cooler. Nico noticed that Valentine was taking longer than needed to grab the snacks and he let out a soft sigh, "The stuff in the cooler is for me, you twit. Hurry up and grab your stupid kiddy cereal."

Valentine gritted his teeth and reached over, grabbing a box of chocolate-covered granola bars. He'd already figured out that there was blood in the cooler, but he still couldn't grasp the idea of Nico drinking blood… it sent deep, dark shivers down his spine.

He tore through the box and took out a single bar and started to place it back in the back seat, but Nico snatched the box out of his hand. With one hand on the steering wheel, Nico shoved his free hand inside the box and wiggled it around for a moment until he managed to grab a bar for himself. He tossed the box back at Valentine. The halfblood luckily managed to catch it before it hit his face and he placed it on the backseat, deciding it was best to just remain calm.

After that, the two remained silence. Valentine set his head against the window and refused to look in Nico's direction, while Nico stared onto the road, refusing to peer at Valentine. Both mindlessly chewed at the tip of their granola bars, not really feeling hungry.

* * *

Three vampires shadowed Ivan unobtrusively into the large living room, and he moved to stand quietly behind them as they took a seat wherever they pleased. The whole room was filled with tension and no one was quite prepared for any of this. Ivan and Arielle had met with very few Elders in their lifetime, and this was Violet's first time. It was nerve-wrecking for all of them, and it wasn't helping that despite the Elders being thousands of years old, they had the appearance of…well, normal humans. One of them looked barely older than 10 years of age. She was dressed in a large, lace-lined dress that made her look like one of those creepy china dolls. Another of the vampires was in his middle-ages and was peering at everyone through tiny glasses. The last one looked not much older than 18 and had a somewhat arrogant aura to him. He had high cheekbones and large, almond colored eyes and naturally somewhat tanned skin. Like most vampires, these Elders were breathtakingly beautiful and innately graceful, although indefinably older.

The middle-aged looking vampire flicked off his lightly tinted glasses and slid them into a pocket. "Lovely home. Very….Harold-like." There was a small hint of sarcasm in his undertone, but the three younger vampires made sure to smile in response. The smiles were very forced.

Once the greetings were over, the conversation picked up oddly quickly.

"Another young vampire lives here, no?" The teenage-looking Elder, Tristian, asked. He wasn't asking any of them in particular, though his eyes seemed to drift back to Ivan.

Ivan was well-aware that he was being watched, and it sent chills down his body. He was also aware that Nico's scent was very obvious in the house even if he was not there, and he gave a small nod, nothing else. He was focused on trying to read their thoughts, but these vampires were very experienced and they  _knew_ how to resist other abilities. Reading into their minds would be like trying to read a language he'd never learned.

"Hm, perhaps Harold should teach him better than to depart when his superiors have come to visit," Tristian crooned, apparently not very pleased with this turn of events. He was pleased, however, that Harold was away just like he'd said, and they only had these three… _children_ to speak with. Children, when threatened, often spoke too much. It wouldn't be long before the Elders got what they came for.

"Sorry, you'll have to forgive him," Arielle finally spoke up. She was fiddling with the hem of her shirt, her knuckles whiter than usual.

"Ugh, this is  _so_ boring," The little girl, Lucinda, sitting between the two male Elders suddenly stood up. She folded her arms unhappily against her chest and glared at Ivan, Arielle, and Violet. "They're hiding him."

Hiding  _who? Nico?_

It only took the three vampires a second to realize that the Elders were not referring to Nico, but to Valentine. Of course.

The middle-aged man that went by the name of Gregory placed a hand on Lucinda's small shoulder gently, "Are you sure?" He asked, his voice gentle and calm.

Lucinda rolled her eyes, " _Duh._ I can see it in their eyes."

Ivan was the first to realize what Lucinda meant. It only took him seconds to realize that she was able to see things that  _they_ have seen just by merely making eye contact with them. Harold had warned them never to make eye contact with any Elders, and to keep their vocabulary minimal but considering there was never any reason to heed those warnings before, they had forgotten. He quickly tore his gaze away from Lucinda, but it was too late.

A small giggle escaped Lucinda's lips, "The missing vampire is driving him away somewhere," she beamed, looking like an innocent angel. "And guess whaaaaat, Tristy?" She tilted her head to look at the teenage-looking Elder, who seemed very unentertained and bored by all this.

"What?" He asked, releasing a small yawn.

"They're both  _super_ cute," she giggled, placing a tiny hand over her lips as she squealed.

For the first time since they'd arrived, Tristian's expression changed to something else besides his typical ' _I'm so bored I could cry'_ gaze. He chewed on his lower lip, revealing a sharp set of white fangs and proceeded to nod, "Good. That's good news, Lucy." Now, he was interested.

Arielle looked horrified for a moment. She wanted to yell at them to not lay a finger on Nico, but she knew better. Just the Elders presence was enough to make them fear them, the last thing they needed was for an Elder – or three, for that matter – to be angry at them.

"Shall I go fetch them?" Tristian asked, already standing up without waiting for an answer. His almond eyes gleamed with something devious, though none of the younger vampires wished to know what it meant.

"Mm," Lucinda gave Tristian permission, and the Elder brushed past the younger vampires.

Without meaning to, Arielle suddenly whirled around and grabbed Tristian's arm with both hands, a pleading gaze in her desperate eyes, "W-…wait…you're not going to hurt th-them, are you?"

Ivan's whole body tensed in anticipation, and Violet resisted the urge to smack Arielle. What the hell was she thinking!?

Tristian froze dead in his tracks. Very slowly, he turned to face Arielle, his almond eyes appearing almost too gentle, too warm… Arielle felt racing heart calm down for a moment. He didn't look mad, oh  _thank god,_ he didn't look mad. He brushed a lock of his dark hair out of his eyes and offered Arielle a smile  _much_ too gentle and charming for her heart to handle. Slowly, she released his arm and he took a step closer to her, making her forget to breathe for a moment. Not that she needed to, but still.

"Of course I will." His tone was so gentle, so calming, so…

Arielle felt her heart tighten as she finally processed his words, but it was too late – he'd already stepped out of the door.

_Of course I will._

He was going to hurt Nico… He was going to hurt Valentine…

The three younger vampires didn't have much time to panic as Lucinda snapped her tiny fingers, drawing their attention back to her.

"Anyhoozles, we're sorta busy, so we're gonna go now," She twirled a lock of her long, wavy brown hair around one finger and stood up.

Ivan felt a lump rise in his throat, "Wait…that's it?" He asked, frowning. Would they be able to find Nico and Valentine that quickly? What would happen when they did? God, he didn't want to think about it but he had to find out…

Lucinda frowned, shooting him an impatient glare, "Uh, yeah? We only came to collect the halfblood. We didn't think we'd find him so fast, but you guys are so inexperienced it hurts," She giggled. "Kudos for keeping him alive for us," she added, beaming widely at them.

Violet ran a shaky hand through her hair and stepped forward, deciding it was time to stand up, "I don't think you'd be very interested in him. He's so human, and he's—"

"Oh, god, Gregory, please shut her up. Is she  _seriously_ telling me what I would be interested in?" The little girl made a gagging sound as if Violet was some sort of vermin that needed to be stepped on.

Violet opened her mouth to say something else, but nothing came out. Her eyes widened and when she looked up, she realized that Gregory was staring at her,  _focusing_ on her. She was  _saying_ something, but the words weren't forming any sound or maybe they just weren't coming out at all. Hell if she knew. Gregory probably had some ability of sound control, and Violet knew it was pointless to keep trying to talk. Eventually, she snapped her mouth shut.

Ivan felt like breaking out into tears, but he knew he had to be the strong one for just a while longer. "He won't be useful to you if he's dead," He said, his voice low.

Lucinda burst out laughing, and actual tears formed in the corner of her eyes as she did so. "Oh my god, I think you're my favorite. You're such a goof," She wiped a fake tear from the corner of her tiny eyes, which were gleaming. "Who said anything about killing him?"

* * *

"So if I die, would you turn me into a vampire?"

They'd been driving for nearly three hours now, and Valentine had recently just started back up on his silly vampire-related questions. Unfortunately, this time, they were more specific and Nico had to actually think about his answer.

"Probably," he mumbled in a lazy reply. "Do you want to be one?"

Valentine paled. The thought of drinking blood, never aging, having a deep, dark craving… "No," He replied truthfully.

 _Sucks,_ Nico thought in amusement to himself,  _You're already half-way there._

"How did you die?" Valentine asked, thinking back to the man that Ivan and him and seen at the mansion. Ivan had said that man was responsible for Nico's death, but…how? Was it a vampire that had gone hunger-crazy?

Nico tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, not taking his eyes off the road, "Pass. Next question."

Valentine frowned. This was the first question Nico had skipped, and Valentine had asked  _many_ other more personal questions than this.

"Who killed you?"

"Pass. Next question." He stopped tapping his fingers.

"Who turned you into a vampire?"

"Pass. No more questions, stay quiet." He gripped the steering wheel tightly, no longer in the mood to keep Valentine entertained.

Under all the annoyance and irritation Nico was clearly conveying, Valentine saw something else in the other boy's eyes. Something like pain… he seemed distant, for a moment. Valentine stared at him for a moment longer before nodding.

The sound of a vibrating phone broke the awkward silence and Nico grabbed the black cellular device he'd tossed into one of the car's cup holders. He peeled his eyes off the road for a brief second and peered down at the text he'd received.

"Aw, hell," He mumbled under his breath, ignoring Valentine's questioning gaze. He abandoned the phone and quickly swerved to the right, pulling into the nearest gas station.

Valentine felt his heart racing. Nico looked uncomfortable, and it wasn't helping that he hadn't shown what the text had said. Were they in trouble? Did something happen back in the mansion? What the hell could possibly make Nico say ' _aw, hell'_?!

"I gotta go piss," Nico finally said as he parked the car.


	15. Tranquil

**Chapter 14 – Tranquil**

Three days could not have gone any slower.

On the day Harold finally returned from his trip, the young vampires filled him on everything that had happened with the Elders. He was very unhappy with the news that one of them had went to go find Nico and Valentine, but he had hope that Nico would keep them safe. Apparently, Ivan had shot Nico a warning text that one of the Elders was after them and that the other Elders would be watching the house. The text implied it was in their best interest to stay on the road for a few days rather than just a few hours.

When Ivan and Harold were finally alone, Ivan decided to go ahead and tell Harold that Valentine had enjoyed blood.  _This,_ Harold was somewhat pleased about. Ivan decided it was best to keep out the tiny little fact that Valentine knew vampires existed.

"Wait, so he doesn't know about vampires, and he didn't freak out about drinking your blood?" Harold gave Ivan a skeptical stare.

The curly-haired boy chuckled softly and shrugged, "He was pretty sick, I don't think he was in his right mind." This was partly true. Valentine  _had_ been sick, too sick to realize that he'd enjoyed Ivan's blood as much as he did. He'd accepted the fact that he'd drank the blood, but only because Ivan convinced him that he'd forced him to drink it.

Harold scratched his head for a moment, nodding as he took Ivan's word for it. "He'll probably want to feed soon. Hopefully, Nico finds a way to do it subtly…"

* * *

"Will you fucking eat something, already?" Nico tossed a granola bar at Valentine's head, and the halfblood barely made an attempt to dodge it. It hit his chest and fell to the floor, near his bare feet.

"I'm not hungry," Valentine replied in a tiny mumble. He was upset, and Nico knew exactly why. They'd been on the road for nearly a full day and just an hour ago Nico had managed to find a cheap hotel they could crash into for the night. Despite all of Valentine's protests, Nico refused to explain why they needed to be gone for so long and why they couldn't return already.

"Fine, more for me," Nico snarled, taking a large bite out of his third granola bar. They hadn't had any real food since they'd left, and Nico had  _no_ idea how Valentine's appetite worked; he was worried that if the boy didn't eat human food, he'd start craving blood. If that's even how it worked. But the dark-haired boy was being so damn  _difficult,_ Nico wasn't sure he'd be able to survive the night without strangling him at least once.

Valentine picked up the granola bar and tossed it on the small table beside the tiny twin-sized bed. Mind you, there was only  _one_ bed in the room, as if Nico honestly expected Valentine would sleep anywhere near him. Hell, he didn't even trust sleeping in the same room. He sat down on the bed, marking his territory.

Nico narrowed his eyes at the other boy, understanding the silent gesture Valentine was making when he settled down on the bed. He'd fight for it later when the time came, but for now he needed to make sure he was satisfied in case something happened. He reached into the cooler he'd abandoned near the door and pulled out…

A small bottle of soda?

Valentine stifled a sigh at relief at this. Nico, however, knew that half the soda bottle was actual blood and the other half was…well, soda. Somehow, when the two mixed, it just looked like cherry coke. He opened the bottle and held it up to his lips, closing his eyes as he drowned down half the bottle before lowering it.

"Wait… Ivan didn't pack you any, uh…blood?" Valentine suddenly looked panicked. What if Nico got hungry and decided to bite  _him?!_ Oh, god…

"Nope," Nico lied, tossing the half-full soda bottle toward Valentine, who caught it despite being off-guard.

"What if you, uh, get thirsty?" Or was it hungry? Valentine wasn't sure how it worked, but Nico would understand what he meant.

"Then I'll just drink your disgusting blood," Nico snapped, growing tired of the halfblood's constant, tedious questions. "If you're not gonna finish that, give it back."

Valentine stared at the bottle skeptically for a moment before opening it and raising to his lips. It tasted almost too sweet to be soda, but it  _did_ taste like soda somehow. Valentine took a few small sips before handing it back to Nico, who was staring at him with raised eyebrows.

Valentine's eyes had started to glow faintly, and the sight was both mesmerizing and somewhat terrifying to Nico. It was so damn  _weird_ to see someone so human-like have any vampire characteristics, but Valentine still didn't seem to realize anything was wrong yet.

"How long are we staying here?" Valentine asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Just the night. We'll probably have to move out before sunrise. Go to bed, we have to get up early," Nico mumbled.

Valentine was more than happy to hear that, but… "What about you, where are you sleeping?"

"I'm not.  _Someone_ has to be the smart one and watch out for…uh, criminals." Of course, Nico was watching out in case the Elders found them, but it was best not to scare Valentine. The boy hardly even knew why the Elders were after him, and it was probably for the best that he remained in the shadows for as long as possible.

The halfblood rolled his eyes. Somehow, he had a hard time believing someone would try to hurt or rob them – first of all, Nico was a  _vampire,_ and second of all, all they had was a couple of soda bottles and some cereal and granola bars. Still, Valentine watched with guilt as Nico sat cross-legged in front of the door, as if ready to bounce at whoever dared to burst in. He knew Nico had driven a lot, and he apparently had many more hours of driving left ahead of him, so it didn't feel right that he'd get sleep and Nico would stay up. A small part of him was also worried about having an awake vampire in the same room that he slept in. Especially if said awake vampire was Nico.

With a long sigh, Valentine rolled off the bed and shook his head, "Let me do it."

Nico nearly burst out laughing, but he held it in. Instead, he snorted, "Do  _what?_ You're so weak, it hurts to even look at you without feeling bad for you. No way in hell you'd protect us from, err, criminals. Just go to bed before I punch the lights out of you and  _make_ you sleep."

Valentine's hands formed fists. He was trying to be considerate and nice to the stubborn vampire, yet Nico was still finding ways to just be unnecessarily rude. Still… "You're the one who has to drive a billion more hours in the morning. It'd be pretty sad if we survive the night and then die crashing into a tree or something." Valentine rolled his eyes. "I can already see it in the headlines:  _Some popular geek from Trinity High crashed into a tree, RIP_ "

Nico flashed Valentine a toothy grin at this, revealing deep dimples, "You think I'm popular?"

"Shut up, Nico. Take the bed."

Despite how stubborn he was, Nico had to admit that Valentine made a good point. He had to be alert in the morning, and it was highly doubtful that the Elders would've found them that fast. Besides, staying up would wear Valentine out and he'd maybe fall asleep in the car, which means blissful silence for Nico…

"M'kay, your funeral," Nico said with a careless shrug as he stood up and made his way to the bed. Valentine rolled his eyes when Nico lunged down on the bed, spreading out his arms and legs and literally took up the whole thing.

Night passed quickly, but apparently not quick enough. Within a few hours, Valentine found it extremely difficult to remain awake and eventually, he forced himself onto his feet. He had to move around, or else he'd just fall asleep and Nico would definitely kill him…

He eyed the peaceful figure on the bed and frowned at the sight. Nico looked so much younger, so much  _calmer_ when he was sleeping. That innocent face surely couldn't belong to the devilish boy it was attached to. Valentine nearly smiled sardonically at that thought as he made his way to the small hotel window beside the bed. He drew the shades back and peered down, taking note of the fact that they were on a  _very_ high floor – probably the seventh floor of the hotel. Moments later, his gaze went up to the vast night sky. The moon was very hidden by a few dark clouds, but the stars were visible.

Valentine let out a long, contented sigh as he began to wonder if wishes made on stars really came true. It seemed so silly, and…well, what exactly did Valentine want to wish for? He didn't live the life most people did, but he didn't hate his life either. He only wished he could remember some of his past…

 _Wishes are silly,_ he told himself as he peeled his eyes away from the sky and lowered his gaze. A moment later, he frowned and narrowed his eyes. There was a bundle on the sidewalk in front of the hotel that had  _not_ been there moments ago. It wasn't really a bundle considering Valentine could make out the top of someone's head, but the person seemed to be wrapped up in an old brown blanket.

A homeless person?

The guy was pacing back and forth slowly, and it made Valentine wonder if anyone else noticed him. It was probably just a little past 2 AM, and the area around the hotel seemed a bit deserted.

His heart tightening at the sight, Valentine grabbed a handful of granola bars and peered over his shoulder once at Nico before slowly opening the door. He'd only be out for a brief second… He was sure the homeless guy was starving, and it probably would be hours before anyone noticed or acknowledged him. He  _had_ to give him some food, surely Nico would understand.

Taking the elevator, Valentine managed to reach the lobby room of the hotel within record time. Considering it was very late, a few of the hotel managers shot him strange looks but Valentine ignored them as he burst out of the hotel.

Relief flooded his senses when he spotted the guy wrapped up in the blanket. His back was turned to Valentine but his pacing came to a stop when Valentine's feet tapped lightly against the sidewalk as he approached the man.

"S-..sir?" Valentine narrowed his eyes, waiting for the guy to turn around. "It's late out, and I thought you'd be hungry so I got you…"

The homeless guy was slowly turning around, revealing his face to Valentine. Much to the halfblood's surprise, the guy didn't appear to be much older than him and his almond-colored eyes appeared so genuine and deep. Valentine felt calm just staring into them, and he nearly forgot what he'd come outside to do in the first place.

"I, uh…got you a snack," He held his hand out, revealing the few bars he'd managed to snatch out of the box. "Sorry it's not much, it's all I had," he mumbled lamely, unable to tear his gaze away from the stranger's eyes. They made him feel so warm inside, so safe… God, he hadn't felt like that in such a long time. He practically felt like flinging himself into the guy's arms, but he had a feeling hugging the homeless guy when they hardly knew each other would be a bit too weird.

The guy didn't say anything or reach out to take the granola bars and Valentine's cheeks suddenly burned with embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude or offensive, I just thought…" Valentine found himself lost in those eyes again, and he practically forgot what he was trying to say. He felt at peace, and his mind wasn't really processing the fact that the guy's face looked so  _clean_ – in fact,  _everything_ about him looked clean except, well, the blanket.

"I already have a snack," the guy – Tristian – finally spoke up, his voice only soothing Valentine even further. Valentine wasn't sure he even heard him, he just wanted to step closer and hug him or be near him or…or… _something._

Tristian never broke eye contact with Valentine as he held out a hand. Had Valentine been in his right mind, he would have just placed the granola bars on his open palm, but Valentine was most definitely not in his right mind. He felt like he was walking on clouds as he took a few steps forward and placed his own hand on Tristian's palm.

With his other hand, Tristian peeled the blanket away from himself and let it fall to the ground. As he turned his attention back to Valentine, a warm smile appeared on his lips, "Interesting choice of a shirt," He crooned, inducing another light blush from the halfblood next to him.

Valentine wasn't sure what he was doing but it didn't seem to matter at the moment. He kept taking small steps toward the stranger, the butterflies in his stomach increasing with each inch he removed from between them. Eventually, there was no space between the two and Valentine was pressed against the other's chest, their hands still locked.

"Good boy," Tristian murmured silkily under his breath as he reached up with his free hand and ran his fingers through the hair on the back of Valentine's head. Valentine's eyes were half-closed, his lips slightly parted. He felt so damn calm, as if there was absolutely nothing that could go wrong as long as he was in this guy's arms. Gently but firmly, Tristian took a handful of the hair and tilted Valentine's head to one side until the boy's pale neck was right in front of him. Ah, yes… a snack, indeed.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a very irritated,  _very_ angry Nico glared daggers at the guy that had himself wrapped all over Valentine.

Tristian – who had his fangs just centimeters away from Valentine's neck – paused and leaned away from the halfblood. His gaze scanned Nico from head to toe and the younger vampire felt himself shudder despite himself. Tristian seemed to take notice of this and the corner of his lips tugged at a smirk. "Oh? But you're not me, now are you, Nico?"

A cold chill slipped through Nico's chest and he failed to hide his surprise at the fact that the guy knew his name.  _Who was this guy? Was this the Elder that Ivan had warned him about?_

His eyes narrowed into a glare, "No, thank god for that. But by all means, bite him if you want. I'm just saying, I wouldn't do it."

Tristian tilted his chin to the side, as if contemplating this challenge. After a moment, he released Valentine's hair and the halfblood looked up groggily at him, seeming almost… disappointed.

"Tell me, should I bite you?" Tristian practically purred the words at Valentine, who merely just nodded in response.

"Do you want it to hurt?"

"Yes," the word escaped Valentine's parted lips in a soft sigh, and Nico felt like vomiting for a moment. What the  _hell_ was wrong with Valentine? It was enough he'd gotten them involved with another vampire, but did he have to be so googily-eyed over him? Unless, of course… the vampire was doing that to him.

Tristian's hand returned to Valentine's hair once more, and Valentine let out a small sigh of content, his head slightly falling back against the Elder's chest.

"Oh, god, that's disgusting," Nico mumbled under his breath, though he couldn't keep his heart from racing. If the Elder wanted to drink Valentine's blood, then fine. But how long would he resist the poison? When Nico had drank from Valentine the second time, he'd managed to stay alive long enough to suck the boy nearly dry. He couldn't afford to take the risk and see how much of Valentine's blood the Elder could take before the poison kicked in. Valentine would definitely die before he did…

Tristian's mouth was once more starting to dip down on Valentine's exposed neck and Nico held his breath at the very last moment that he thought the guy was going to pierce his fangs into the flesh. Nico didn't realize he'd closed his eyes as well until a moment later, when the sound of an amused chuckle filled the air.

Nico's eyes fluttered open and much to his relief, Valentine was still untouched. But why the hell was this guy laughing!? Nico gritted his teeth in anger.

"Careful there, you might break a fang," Tristian calmly spoke, the amusement ringing throughout his words. "Humor me, though. What will happen if I bite the half-blood? This  _is_ the half-blood, am I correct?" He was already aware of what would happen, but it was interesting to him that Nico knew as well.

Nico's eyes narrowed. This guy was hiding something, but what? "I don't know. You think any of us are stupid enough to bite him and find out?"

"Well, let's find out, shall we?"

Before Nico could even react, Tristian had already raked a sharp fingernail down the side of Valentine's neck and blood almost immediately began to flow freely out of the cut. Valentine barely winced, but his body slightly trembled. Whatever Tristian had done to him was keeping him so calm. Tristian released the halfblood's hand and took a step away from him. Placing a hand against his back, he gave him a small shove and Valentine stumbled forward toward Nico. He caught himself before he fell, then stood still. The side of his neck was hurting, but his whole body was buzzing with a strange calm that he couldn't escape. He didn't want to escape it, he wanted to feel this safe forever…

Despite the blood having absolutely no smell, just the sight of it was enough to make Nico's green eyes flash and glow with hunger. The memory of how the blood tasted was enough to awaken his hunger, and this time, there was  _so_ much blood. It was dripping down Valentine's shirt, wasting away…

 _But this was what the Elder wanted,_ he reminded himself.  _He wants to see you break, he wants to see you crave the blood that kills…_

Nico forced his eyes squeezed shut, but it was too late. Tristian had seen the hunger in his eyes and that was all the proof he needed.

"To me, that just looks like red paint. There's nothing appetizing about it," His voice was like venom as he stepped forward and poked a finger against the fresh blood that had stained Valentine's neck. He rubbed the thin substance between his forefinger and thumb, not finding anything appealing about it. "But to you… it's more than that, isn't it?" His gaze turned dark, "You've drank from him before, haven't you? How did you survive? That girl that was found…" He shook his head in dark amusement, "She wasn't as lucky as you, was she?"

Nico refused to open his eyes, but his every sense seemed so focused on the damn blood. He could hear the very faint gurgling sound as blood seeped out, the sound of Valentine's even breathing… god, his taste buds were  _aching_ to taste a drop of that sweet blood just once more. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to open his eyes and accept what was in front of him.

But he couldn't give the Elder that satisfaction.

"I'm just hungry," Nico growled, finally cracking his eyes open. "I don't care if it's his blood or a freaking pigeon's, I'll take anything.

Tristian drummed his fingers impatiently against the side of his pants, "You know, I was really hoping you'd just tell me or show me what it was that made him so special, but your lies are just boring me."

Before Nico could open his mouth to protest, a sudden wave of peaceful emotions washed over him and his heart stopped racing almost immediately. The sensation was so surprising that in a frantic attempt to attack back, Nico had tightened the pressure around the Elder.

"Oh, it's too late for that now," Tristian murmured, his voice sounding like a bird's chirping as Nico suddenly felt all strange and warm inside. It was like he was in a dream, a safe haven of clouds… And suddenly, just like that, all his worries were gone.

"Drink him, Nico. As much as you want." His words were soft, calm, and Nico didn't see why he shouldn't obey. Slowly, he erased the distance between himself and Valentine, not stopping once as he leaned forward and pressed his fangs into the other's soft skin. He heard a faint sigh escape Valentine's lips, and then nothing else.

Nico's long fingers threaded loosely in Valentine's dark hair as he leaned into the boy, half desperate, drinking deeply, almost savagely, the Elder's warm eyes never leaving them. A faint smile ghosted across his elegant lips at the sight before him.

Valentine was getting dizzy, but his mind was elsewhere, somewhere far more peaceful than reality. He almost didn't feel the fangs tearing at his neck, though he could feel his strength fading quickly. His eyes fluttered closed, suddenly feeling very lightheaded. Something in the back of his head screamed at him to try and stop Nico, but…why? He felt safe, calm….so calm.

Nico was lost in bliss. He was feeling the same sense of peace and safety as Valentine, though it was multiplied tenfold with every sip of blood he took. He couldn't even dare to imagine what could go wrong, or what would happen if he drank every last drop of Valentine's blood. He didn't want to imagine…didn't  _need_ to imagine… Everyone was safe here, right? Everyone was safe. He was safe.

"Do you want to kill him, Nico?" Tristian murmured softly, impassively, his lips very near to Nico's ear. "You will soon. You need to learn restraint. It's very rude to drain a willing donor so harshly." His voice was calm, collected as always, displaying that faintly amused, almost mocking tone that would have driven Nico up the wall if he had actually heard him. Despite barely registering the words, however, Nico found himself obeying. Hazy with bloodlust and gorged with Valentine's incredibly intoxicating blood, Nico's let out a soft growl against Valentine's skin before jerking his head away.

Valentine's eyes were still closed and the boy rocked on his feet for a moment before he suddenly crumpled to the floor. Tristian held out an arm and wrapped it around Valentine before the boy could fall to the ground. He pulled Valentine up easily without exerting much energy and leaned the fading boy against his chest.

Nico was breathing heavily, though his mind was completely blank. He felt satisfied, but something was burning at his insides. It was a familiar feeling, one that he  _didn't_ want to be familiar with. Still, at least he had that peace he could latch onto. He felt so darn safe…

"Well, well… it looks like my question's been answered," Tristian muttered to himself as he reached forward and wiped his thumb against Nico's lower lip. Nico saw the blood on Tristian's thumb a moment later, but he could barely register that it wasn't Valentine's blood – it was  _his_. He felt something trickling down his eyes and ears as well. Ah… more blood? But it didn't matter…. He was safe here.

"Ah… I guess it would be unfair to let you die…" Tristian sounded almost bored as he wrapped his other arm around Nico's waist, pulling the poisoned boy closer.

* * *

"Nghh…" Nico muttered groggily as he rolled onto his elbow and pushed up to sit. He shook his head and then held it in his hands. He felt like he had the world's worst hangover, but he couldn't even recall getting drunk. He couldn't recall much of anything at the moment…

He glanced down at himself. His chest felt strange…  _warm._ His shirt was hanging open and he could clearly see a few small bite marks. His foggy eyes widened and he quickly looked around the room – apparently they were back in their hotel room – and his gaze landed on the Elder vampire. The almond-eyed boy had his back pressed up against the wall and he was down on the floor, his half-open eyes opening completely when he saw Nico stirring.

"Well,  _finally."_ Tristian mumbled under his breath. As the Elder pushed himself up, Nico caught sight of his arms – both sleeves had been rolled up and various little puncture wounds dotted his slightly tanned skin. What the hell…?

Memories of what had happened seemed to come back to Nico slowly, though most of them were still vague. He was alert enough to recognize that Tristian had made him do something awful and without a moment's waste, Nico's eyes searched the rest of the room until they landed on the still figure on the bed beside him. The side of Valentine's neck had been bandaged and Nico was easily able to tell that he was just sleeping. His glare turned back to Tristian, who was suddenly in front of him.

Tristian gripped Nico's chin and held it firmly, ignoring the blonde's attempts to swat his arm away. He tilted Nico's chin upwards, examining his eyes and nose then slowly his gaze shifted downwards to Nico's exposed chest. Immediately, Nico grabbed both sides of his shirt and closed it. Tristian smirked, but released Nico's chin.

"You're lucky it only took me a minute to figure out how to get the blood out of you. Or poison, should I say," He shrugged, his expression revealing his lack of interest.

"Why not just let me die?" Nico growled, the puzzle pieces quickly coming together.

"Oh, I would have, had you kept getting in my way. As it turns out, you were pretty easy to tame. Shame," He crooned, giving Nico an uncaring shrug.

Nico scowled and started to rise to his feet, but he wobbled for a moment and made a mental decision that he was not ready to attack, just yet. Tristian made a tsk, tsk sound with his tongue and shook his head at Nico but said nothing else. He'd used too much of his blood to heal the two boys, and that was definitely saying something about how much of a bad shape they'd been in. Older vampires had blood that healed better and faster…for him to have used this much blood meant both boys had been on the verge of death. They ought to be thankful.

"You already got what you wanted, so what the hell are you still doing here?" Nico snarled, not liking the way the Elder was just staring at him like he was a piece of meat.

"Just waiting for your little buddy to wake up," he replied monotonously.

Nico barely wasted a minute. He jabbed his elbow against Valentine's chest, " _Get up!_ "

Something like a half-groan and half-gasp escaped Valentine's lips at the same time and the boy rolled to his side, his arms curling around his chest. As he struggled to figure out what the hell had just happened, Nico turned back to Tristian, " _Now_ will you leave?"

"Patience, little one," The Elder's almond-colored eyes narrowed, but he stepped away from Nico and walked to the other side of the bed, where Valentine had finally stopped rubbing his eyes to check out his surroundings. Tristian placed a hand on top of Valentine's head and the halfblood froze in fear, "Ah… I'll definitely be back for you," his eyes softened and Valentine felt his whole body tremble. He was so very confused, but he knew now was not the time to ask questions.

Tristian removed his hand from Valentine's head and slipped it into his pocket. A moment later, his hand popped out and a small vial was in his palm. There was a dark red substance inside, and Valentine frowned at it.

"You have no idea what this is, do you?" Tristian asked, voice calm. From behind Valentine, Nico was growing pale.

Slowly, Valentine shook his head. "Blood?" He mumbled in a weak reply.

A genuine smile appeared on Tristian's lips. "Blood is what Nico and I have in us. This…" He swirled the vile in front of Valentine. "This is so much more. It's going to break so many hearts."

Valentine felt lightheaded, still not completely understanding what the vampire was talking about. He was pretty certain blood was inside the vile, so what was all this talk of breaking hearts? Jeeze, did he have to be so dramatic?

" _You're_ going to break so many hearts," Tristian's words were just barely above a hushed whisper, and that was enough to make goosebumps rise all over Valentine's skin.  _He_ was going to break hearts? What the hell did that even mean?!

Valentine reached over for the vile, but Tristian held it farther away and stood up straight. "The folks back home should be satisfied with this for now. But don't worry, I'll be back if I need anymore," he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Valentine's in a swift, but gentle kiss. "Now I can say I've kissed a half-vampire," He winked, giving the boys one last calm smile before heading out the door.

Nico's face was white as a sheet and Valentine was just completely and utterly lost. His cheeks were colored with a pale blush and his lips burned feverishly where Tristian had kissed them. But what the hell did he mean, half-vampire? What the hell had happened!? The last thing he really remembered was meeting the homeless guy and staring into his eyes, those deep eyes…

With a small gasp, Valentine whirled around to face Nico.

"Was that the Elder you were talking about!?"

Nico literally had to will every muscle in his body not to strike out and punch Valentine.


	16. Possessive

**Chapter 15 – Possessive**

Valentine picked up his cheeseburger and nibbled at it, not really biting into it. He didn't feel hungry.

Nico had filled the half-blood in on everything that had happened the moment the Elder had used his ability on Valentine, but he still couldn't seem to grasp the fact that it had actually happened. He still didn't understand why the Elder had taken that vial of blood or why he called Valentine a half-vampire or why he felt so calm around the Elder…

"Is it even possible for a vampire to be that strong? I didn't even feel you bite me…" Valentine shuddered.

"If you've had thousands of years of practice with your ability, then  _duh,_ it is possible," Nico bit into his own sandwich hard. When the sun had finally risen the following morning after nearly  _everything_ had gone wrong, Nico had driven the boys to the nearest McDonalds, where they were currently enjoying a not-so-happy meal.

"Why couldn't you just use your ability? You always seem so eager to use it on me," Valentine mumbled, his words slurring at the end as he covered his mouth with his burger.

Nico rolled his eyes, "That's because you're pathetic and harmless. If I did that to him, he could have easily killed us. Better yet, he could have easily made his kill each other and we wouldn't have even noticed."

Valentine held his glare for a moment before lowering it, realizing there was an irritating truth behind Nico's words. There was  _one_ thing that didn't seem to fit though… "Harmless? This is like, the third time you drank my blood and nearly died from it. Are you allergic to something?"

"Yeah. Stupidity." Nico took another bite of his sandwich, filing his mouth so he didn't have to answer whatever Valentine's next question was.

Valentine set down his burger and leaned back in his chair, giving Nico a small glare. He knew it wasn't Nico's fault that he'd been bitten, he that didn't make him any less irritated with the vampire. "So did you tell Harold that you failed?"

 _This_ got to Nico, and the blonde stopped chewing, one side of his cheeks still filled with a big bite of food. He glared daggers at Valentine before setting his sandwich down and swallowing the bite. "Yes, I  _did_ tell Harold you fucked us over and  _walked up_ to the damn Elder. Seriously, you couldn't just stay in the room? I knew I couldn't trust you."

Valentine gave a small shrug. He'd thought he'd seen a homeless man… was it really his fault? His eyes drooped for a moment as guilt drowned his emotions. It only took moments for the guilt to turn into curiosity, though.

"I know you sort of explained this already, but why did he call me a half-vampire?" Was there even such a thing?

Nico looked everywhere except at Valentine. He pretended to be busy with a napkin and quickly muttered out a reply that was far from the truth, "It's, uh, a term we give to people we drink from more than once."

This made absolutely no sense to Valentine. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and his chin against his hands. He was staring intently at Nico who was still so obviously trying to keep himself occupied. Finally, Valentine shook his head, "You're such a bad liar," he mumbled, not understanding why the blonde was keeping something from him.

Nico suddenly kicked the chair back and rose to his feet, motioning for Valentine to do the same, "Come on, let's go. We fucked up the first half of the plan but at least they haven't taken you yet."  _Unfortunately,_ Nico thought to himself somewhat bitterly. "Which means they'll be back soon, but I don't know when. We have to keep moving." He didn't mention that two Elders were still back at the mansion, waiting for their return.

Valentine was very unhappy with this plan and he shook his head, not moving from where he was sitting. "I'm not going anywhere else until you tell me what's really going on," he mumbled stubbornly.

The blonde was  _not_ about to put up with this again. Couldn't Valentine just trust him and follow along quietly? He hated this as much as the halfblood did, but they didn't have much choice.

"Val, seriously, shut the hell up for a while and just follow me. We're covered in blood and we're out in public, don't draw more attention than necessary." His eyes were strangely serious, his voice low.

Valentine knew he was right. They didn't have extra clothing on them considering they didn't think they'd be out this long, and their shirts were dotted with stains of blood. Fortunately, Valentine's shirt was already vampire-related, so it just added to the sardonic nature of it. Nico's shirt, on the other hand, was white and the blood was  _very_ obvious. Though it was still early morning and not many people were in the store, they were still in public which meant any argument between them would draw attention. But Nico had to understand that Valentine could follow along blindly for only so long. He was still so confused about everything and Nico's sarcastic answers weren't doing him justice.

So he remained still in his seat, not budging. He folded his arms neatly against his chest and glared as hard as he could, though he mostly just looked like a child that was upset with his parents because they didn't take him to Disneyland.

"Come on, Val. If you glare any harder, you might actually pee on yourself." Nico returned the glare, though his required much less effort and was  _much_ scarier and more effective than Valentine's. Still, the halfblood refused to budge despite the lump rising in his throat.

"Fine," Nico hissed, turning around and starting to take a few steps away. Valentine's glare disappeared into a frown. That's it, Nico was leaving? Was Valentine free—

Valentine barely had time to register when it happened. One moment, Nico's back was turned to him and in the next, Nico was right  _in front_ of him, one hand raised in a fist. Before Valentine could open his mouth to protest, the fist came flying down into his face, and everything went absolutely black.

An irritated sigh escaped Nico's lips as he watched Valentine's head droop to the side. He was pretty sure he broke something considering he felt a satisfying crunch when punching the halfblood, but he'd deal with that later. People were already turning to look their way and Nico wasted no time in dragging the unconscious boy out.

* * *

"Sorry, Tristian. You have a rampant strain of the stupiditis gene in your blood. There's no cure," a young man appearing somewhere in his early twenties deadpanned crankily as he bent over his microscope while the Elder hovered at his shoulder, looking at him expectantly.

Tristian's eyes narrowed. "Not funny. That's not even my blood. Now tell me what you really see," There was a small threat in his voice.

The man pushed his chair away from the microscope and Tristian had to quickly step away before he got trampled by the chair. "I double and triple checked everything," He stressed, unconscious of the fact Tristian was in anxious agony each moment it took him to answer, "To be honest, it's taken me longer than usual to be sure because mixed human and vampire blood is very unique, he explained. "It's not like studying other blood, even Elder blood, and I don't have any reference samples to work with."

Tristian was so tense he thought he might have to hurt the guy if he didn't hurry the hell up. Not only did he want to find out what was in the blood, he needed to relay the information to some of the other Elders as quickly as possible. He was on a tight schedule.

"But as far as I can tell, and I'm fairly positive on this, this blood cannot come in contact with human or vampire blood separately. I tested it with some of the fresh samples we have here, and every trial yielded the same results. When this blood is mixed with vampire blood, the vampire blood cells start to quickly shrivel and release a toxic black liquid. Similarly, when mixed with human blood, the cells shrivel up…but no black liquid is released. Of course, I'm not sure what this could imply…"

Tristian knew exactly what it implied. He'd seen the way Nico's facial orifices bled out when he drank Valentine's blood. He'd never forget Nico's strained rasps and hurling as the boy's body attempted to get the blood out of his system. It was as if Nico had drank some sort of toxic substance. Of course, he still hadn't seen a human consume Valentine's blood but that only meant he'd get to visit the halfblood sooner than he thought.

Tristian reached over and took hold of the vile he'd let the man borrow to do his research. With what he'd seen and with this new proof of what the blood did, Tristian now had enough information to relay to the other Elders. He straightened his shirt and turned around to leave but before he disappeared out the door, the man in front of the microscope said something that caught his attention.

"That blood is a weapon. Make sure it doesn't fall in the wrong hands, or we'll be facing a war. The vampire race will tear itself apart…"

Something like a smile played at Tristian's lips. The blood had already fallen in the wrong hands.

And it just so happened that Tristian would be on the winning side. His grip tightened around the vile as he held it close.

The man returned back to his microscope and looked down at the infected vampire blood he'd been examining. It appeared black and dead with no traces of any living vampire cells in it. The man obtained a small drop of the halfblood's blood sample and dropped it onto the infected vampire blood. He mostly expected the blood to just die as the rest of the sample had, but much to his surprise, it didn't.

Instead, the black liquid started to slowly bubble and turn crimson once more.

* * *

Valentine didn't know how long he was out; his internal body clock was completely messed up. But eventually unconsciousness lightened and he drifted in and out of delirium for what felt a long time, catching only moments and snapshots of reality around the fevered creations of his very confused mind.

Broken trees rustling past. The sound of a faint radio playing. Nico beside him, humming to himself.

The halfblood was tense as he sat up, realizing that his neck was aching from having been placed at an awkward angle in the car seat. He slowly raised his head from where it had been set against the car window and winced against the pain as he turned to glare at Nico.

"And I was just beginning to enjoy the quiet…" Nico mumbled to himself, though a trace of amusement was hinted in his tone as he stole a peek in Valentine's direction. The halfblood had a large bruise stretching from underneath his left eye all the way down to his nose. Nico was fairly certain he'd broken the boy's nose, but whatever. It was nothing that wouldn't heal.

Valentine's hair was a mess and he was struggling to open his mouth and attempt to reply; it hurt far too much and he eventually gave up. His eyes fluttered shut, his breath coming in harsh little rasps as he tried to contain his anger and worry. He wanted to pass out again but he couldn't. He felt sick to his stomach and was struggling not to throw up. He hated Nico…no, he  _loathed_  the stupid vampire.

A moment later Nico pulled the car around a corner and parked it in front of a small building. Despite the street being deserted, there was a loud blaring sound coming from the building and it made Valentine sit up with curiosity. Where were they?

As if Nico knew the boy would ask, he turned to Valentine and undid the halfblood's seatbelt, "We're at a bar. A vampire bar, actually."

This only made Valentine's frown deepen, but he still refused to say anything. He was still angry and his face stung too much to try and speak, but he wasn't about to admit that.

Nico let out a small impatient sigh, "While you were sleeping—"

Valentine snorted. He most definitely had  _not_ been sleeping, he'd had the lights knocked out of him for crying out loud.

Nico ignored this and kept going, "—Harold called and told me there was someone we needed to visit. He said she can help," he mumbled the last part. Harold hadn't really given Nico much detail about who he wanted the boys to go see, but he knew it had something to do with helping them cover up Valentine's lack of scent. It made him stick out too much.

Valentine finally spoke up, his words coming out in a mumble, "That doesn't explain why we're at a bar. At…" He glanced at the small digital time in the car, "… 9 AM."

Nico rolled his eyes as he undid his own seatbelt and reached into the backseat, where he grabbed a small bag and held it out for Valentine to take. Valentine hesitated for a moment before taking it and peeking inside – it was a simple, clean black shirt. Now that he realized, Nico had changed out of his stained shirt and was now in a light gray v-neck. Was this shirt for him? Before he could ask, Nico climbed out of the car. Valentine did the same and walked around the car, stopping when he was a good ten feet away from Nico.

"It's a  _vampire_ bar, dumbass. We're creatures of the night, so daylight is like night-time for us. Can you at least  _try_ to sound smart at least once? And hurry up and change your shirt."

Valentine snapped his mouth shut, his lips forming a thin line. Once this stupid trip was over, he vowed to himself he'd stay as far away as possible from this asshole. How the hell was  _he_ supposed to know what habits vampires had? Still, he said nothing as he peeled off his stained shirt and replaced it with the new black one, which was surprisingly a perfect fit – except now he was wearing all black. Figuring it wasn't worth complaining about, Valentine slipped out of the car and followed Nico down the empty street and toward the big black door of the small building. The music was irritatingly loud and they weren't even inside yet. It made Valentine nervous.

"Just stick to me and don't talk to anyone. Don't make eye contact, either." He frowned and looked Valentine up and down. "Try not to breathe too hard, either." Nico resisted a smirk.

Valentine couldn't tell if the vampire was joking or not but he didn't have much time to dwell over it because just then, a large man stepped in front of them. The guy was at least twice their size and…bald. Black shades covered his eyes and Valentine honestly had no idea how to read his expression. He did as Nico told him and lowered his gaze.

"We're here to see Stella," Nico said, his tone cool as he narrowed his eyes at the man.

The man grunted in reply and slowly shook his head. One hand reached into his pocket and Valentine felt himself stiffen. Was he going to pull out a gun!? Oh god, he looked like one of those guys in those scary movies…

"Did you make an appointment?" He paused, his attention turning to the trembling boy beside Nico, "No humans allowed." The man's eyebrows twitched for a moment, as if he wasn't sure Valentine was even human.

Nico knew he had to act fast before the man could sense that something was different about Valentine. "Uh, yeah. Harold arranged for us to meet," When the man stiffened at the mention of Harold's name, Nico hid a small smirk. He knew Harold held power in certain areas, and he was more than glad this happened to be one of those areas. "You gonna let us in, or do I have to contact him?"

The man hesitated for a second longer before stepping out of the way. He reached over and pulled the heavy, dark door for them. Nico stole a sidelong glance at Valentine, who seemed frozen in place. With another annoyed sigh, Nico reached over and grabbed Valentine's hand, tugging the boy into the club.

Valentine had never been to a club before, but he definitely did not imagine it to look anything like  _this._ The whole place was dark, illuminated only by a dark red light. Between the occasional elegant laughs, Valentine could have sworn he heard a few screams and even a few  _moans._ It was terrifying, and his hand gripped Nico's tighter without realizing it.

For a moment a vague unease fingered through Nico as he caught the gazes of several other vampires following, not him, but Valentine. The halfblood was silently trailing along in Nico's wake, looking somewhat sullen and distinctly put out about being dragged through the middle of the unfamiliar area. Valentine was not unaware of the occasional glances being darted his way. At first he figured they were wondering who had let the riff-raff in, as he was probably the only human present. But oddly, the vampires were looking at him almost eagerly, as if they were wondering something… but Valentine didn't know what. There wasn't much to wonder about, was there?

As they passed through the crowd, Valentine felt a hand wrap around the back of his neck and he froze, causing Nico to stop walking as well to see what was wrong. A guy somewhere in his late teens was staring at Valentine with a curious frown, "There's something different about you, but I'm willing to have a taste and find out what it is…"

Nico quickly reached over and slapped the vampire's hand away from Valentine. A fierce protectiveness rose in his chest and he calmly reached back and caught Valentine's arm, linking it casually with his own. His body language and expression sent a clear message of unequivocal possession and the curious looks turned mildly disappointed before quickly losing interest. It was clear that the vampires in the room were mostly power-hungry and were willing to go after the first thing that was out of place – but not if was evident that this 'out of place' thing already belonged to someone else. A few glares were thrown in Nico's direction but no one else dared approach the two.

Valentine was startled by Nico suddenly taking his arm and he colored a little despite himself. He got the possessiveness loud and clear, if not the reason for it. He tried to jerk his arm back, but Nico clamped his arm hide to his side, trapping the halfblood's in place without visible outward effort.

As they reached the back of the club, Nico finally released Valentine only so he could open a door in the corner. He nudged Valentine to go inside first, then followed the halfblood in and shut the door behind him.

Both Nico and Valentine stared at the room in slight shock. It wasn't exactly a room…it was as if they'd walked into Narnia during summertime. They were outside and the sun was glaring down at them but it wasn't painful – in fact, they barely felt the heat. In front of them was a large pool that was surrounded by a few pool chairs and umbrella-shaded tables. Two females were inside the pool, but only one of them turned to look at them when they walked inside. She was wearing a coral-colored bathing suit and her hair was pulled up into a high bun – she didn't look much older than twenty, but something told Valentine she was much,  _much_ older than that.

The girl swam over to the edge of the pool and gazed up at the boys, her eyes set on their chest. A moment later, both boys looked down to see what she was staring down and a deep blush appeared across their cheeks. They were suddenly shirtless and dressed only in swimming trunks. What the…?

The girl giggled and motioned for them to get into the pool. They didn't budge.

"Oh, right…Harold  _did_ tell me you'd be a difficult pair," the girl laughed, her voice elegant and pleasant to the ears. She waved a hand in the air and rolled her eyes, "Don't mind all this, it's just one of my creations."

_Creations?_

Nico seemed to have quickly understood this because Valentine heard him let out a soft sigh of relief. Valentine, on the other hand, was still trembling in confusion.

"It's just a hallucination," Nico mumbled to the boy, who finally calmed down in return. It was probably the girl's ability, Valentine understood now.

Nico left Valentine's side and approached the edge of the pool, where he sat and let his legs dangle inside the warm water. It felt so  _real,_ he could feel the water against his skin… "I, um… Harold said you could help us with…" He pointed a finger at Valentine.

The girl swam to the shallow end of the pool and climbed out. She was tall and attractive and Valentine had to practically peel his eyes away to keep from blushing. The girl – Stella, apparently – made her way to Valentine and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer. Strangely enough, her skin didn't feel wet even though droplets of water hung to her. "Awww, he's so adorable!" She pressed her lips against Valentine's cheek and he winced; his face now hurting from blushing so much and from the earlier assault Nico had done on him.

Stella laughed and turned back to Nico, "Does he always look this confused?"

Valentine frowned. How long were they going to talk about him like he wasn't here?

Nico rolled his eyes and gave her a look that clearly read ' _you have nooo idea'._

Stella let out another giggle and unwrapped her arm from around Valentine, who sighed in relief. She held out a hand for him to shake, "I'm Stella. Harold's told me all about you, and I'm assuming you came here so I can work on whipping up something to cover up your scen—"

Nico coughed out loud, once.

Stella paused for a moment, then her lips formed a silent 'o' as she suddenly realized something. "Oh… he doesn't know…" she mumbled under her breath, her giggles suddenly dying down.

Valentine was so horribly and utterly lost but he remained quiet, his hand still in Stella's. What was it that he didn't know? What was he here to cover up…?

The vampire suddenly released Valentine's hand and she looked somewhat upset for a moment, "It'll be easy to whip up something that'll stick to him for a while, but my little hallucinations can be easily seen through if someone knows where to look…or smell." She was talking to Nico now, who looked disappointed with this news. Of course the Elders knew where to look – they knew how Valentine looked like, and they knew Nico was be with him. Still, getting a scent on Valentine would distract attention away from other vampires even if they weren't Elders.

"It's okay, anything will work." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "Just, uh… don't make him smell too good."

Stella looked deep in thought for a brief moment before amusement seeped through her smile. She gave Nico an understanding wink before turning back to Valentine, who'd just been gaping at the two the whole time.

Literally three seconds passed before Stella beamed widely at him, "All done!"

Nico frowned. "That's it?"

Stella nodded, smile still huge. "Yep! Check him out yourself."

Ignoring Valentine's sudden skeptical gaze, Nico stepped closer to the boy and his eyes fluttered shut for a moment, taking in his scent. It was sweet, but nothing special. It was the scent most humans carried, and it was the perfect one to disguise Valentine in. It smelled  _nothing_ like how the boy tasted, but Nico didn't need to tell anyone that.

Feeling slightly anxious considering Nico had just literally  _sniffed_ him, Valentine took a step to the side and shot Nico a warning glare.

"Mm, yeah, that's good enough. How does it work?" Nico asked, curious.

"It's sort of simple. The smell hallucination only works if you're close to him or you can see him. But if you try to  _think_ about how he smells or try to remember it…it won't work." She shrugged, "Sorry, kiddo. I'm not all strong and mighty yet," she winked teasingly. She was probably only a bit older than Nico in vampire terms.

"It's fine, it's perfect. We just need it for a few days." Nico replied as he started heading toward the door.

"Heyyyyy, whoa, whoa…!" The girl laughed, her hand reaching over to take hold of Nico's arm. "Do you think I'm that cheap? Pay up."

Valentine was about to snort out loud and confess that Nico had spent all their money on plain shirts and lame McDonalds meals, but he stopped himself and watched as Nico held out an arm in front of Stella. Stella rolled her eyes, hiding a small smile as she ignored the arm and instead tugged down the collar of Nico's shirt. Nico gave her a distasteful glare but tilted his head to the side, letting her dip her head down and sink her fangs deep into his flesh. He winced, pain obvious on his features but very slowly, his calm expression returned.

Valentine was pale. What sort of payment was  _this!?_ He couldn't peel his eyes away from Nico's neck or the way Stella had reached up and pressed her hand against the blonde's chest. After a minute, she slowly pulled her head away from Nico's neck, revealing a frighteningly glowing set of brown eyes and blood-stained lips. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment as she licked her lips and when she opened them, the glow was gone. Valentine felt something dark stir in his gut, though he wasn't sure if it was disgust or something else. Either way, it didn't feel good and he didn't like it.

"Mmm… you taste good," The girl winked, lightly tapping Nico's chest before pulling her hand away. "Been drinking good blood lately, huh?" She added, giggling softly.

 _Yeah. Mine,_ Valentine thought bitterly, though something in the back of his head reminded him that his blood  _killed_ Nico. It was probably that Elder's blood that the girl had tasted in Nico's system, since Tristian had probably used it to heal Nico. Valentine didn't know why, but he felt disappointed at the thought of his blood not tasting good.

"Whatever," Nico mumbled, pressing a hand against his neck. Stella had cleaned up the wound nicely and no blood was leaking out, but the puncture wounds would take some time to heal. He fixed his shirt, covering it up before turning to Valentine.

"Stop staring at me like that," Nico snapped at Valentine, who quickly peeled his gaze away. Both boys stepped back out into the club and it took their eyes a moment to adjust from the change of the pool's scenery to the dark red tint of the club.

This time, no one bothered to look their way and Nico was fairly pleased that everyone was pretty much ignoring them. This peace was disturbed however when a couple of smiling, bubbling young girls came up to them. Valentine would have put them at around 12 and 14 respectively, but with vampire ages, he had no idea.

"Hi… can you introduce us to your friend?" The slightly older one asked Valentine shyly.

Valentine looked at her and after a moment he simply nodded. "This is Nico. Careful, he bites."

The girls found this be some sort of hilarious joke and they giggled, elbowing each other with delighted grins. Nico shot Valentine a look and peered over the girls' head, seeking out the door. They had been so close to leaving, if he could just get these girls to shut up and leave them…

"Is he shy?" The younger one asked, her eyes on Nico. The blonde turned to look at her, his glare only making her grin widen.

"Yes," Valentine replied monosyllabically again. Okay, this wasn't actually true, Nico was very outspoken and rude, but he wasn't about to go into that. Nico was giving the pair his best  _go away_ glare, but they seemed significantly immune to it.

The girls, likely either cousins or sisters given their resemblance, looked at each other and giggled, "I  _told_ you, Tiffany!" the younger one said triumphantly. "He's like….dark, tall, shy and mysterious. Isn't that dreamy?"

Valentine tried not to gag.

The older girl turned to Valentine seriously, her gaze re-fixing on him. "What's he like? Do you know him really well?"

"Does he have a girlfriend?" The younger one piped up again.

Valentine turned to Nico for help, wondering why the girls couldn't just ask him. Then again, Nico didn't look too friendly – he didn't blame them for not approaching him first.

"No," Valentine replied flatly, though he honestly had no idea about Nico's love life nor did he care much for it.

The girls seemed ecstatic to hear this but the older one just frowned. "Rose, he doesn't have a girlfriend because  _this_ guy is his girlfriend." She stared at Valentine as a blush formed on his cheeks, "He's totally his bottom, too." Her gaze shifted to the irritated Nico, "You look like the type to top. You are, aren't you?"

Absolute horror was visible on Valentine's flushed cheeks and he quickly raised his hands, ready to clear up the misunderstanding but before he could open his mouth to explain, Nico suddenly grabbed one of his raised hands and gave it a squeeze.

" _Yes._ Now move, you're disturbing our date." Not waiting for a reply, Nico shoved himself between the two girls, dragging a heated Valentine along with him. Before the door shut after they made it out, Valentine heard the older girl gasp in horror.

" _He took him out on a date at a club?!_ So  _cheap."_ The girl's voice rang in his ears before the door finally shut, the quiet seeming like absolute bliss.

Valentine's heart was pounding wildly even when their hands were no longer linked. Did Nico  _really_ have to put it like that to the girls?! Couldn't a simple 'sorry, not interested' suffice? He felt very embarrassed, and put out, and…and….Nico, that idiot!

"Are you going to stand there blushing like a little girl all day or are you getting in the car?" Nico's irritation broke through Valentine's heated thoughts and he shook his head.

_Neither._

Nico removed his hand from the car door handle and turned back to Valentine. "For fuck's sake, not  _this_ again. Do I have to punch the lights out of you every time I need you to come with me? I really don't understand what's so difficult about following me."

Valentine forgot all about the girls for a moment and the real issues clouded his thoughts. He was still confused about the meeting with Stella and he had  _no_ idea what Nico had 'payed' her to do to him, but she had done  _something._ He wasn't about to leave until he got some damn answers.

"What did she do to me? That vampire, back in that weird pool place…" Valentine asked, ignoring Nico's question.

Nico sucked his breath in, dilated eyes fluttering open and fixing on Valentine in pure irritation, "Nothing, alright? You reek, so she fixed up your body odor."

" _Stop lying to me,"_ Valentine's voice cracked, a little of his frustration bleeding through into his voice. It had been such a long week filled with so many things that Valentine couldn't even bear to handle. At least when Ivan had come out and revealed the truth, a small part of him had felt at peace because he felt like he could  _trust_ Ivan. Nico had only been feeding him lies and dragging him around like some sort of doll he could walk all over whenever he pleased. It wasn't fair… couldn't Nico see that?

Nico swallowed quietly. Valentine was looking at him intently with that same dark, hopeless look he'd given Nico back in the bathroom of the mansion, when Nico had first revealed that he was a vampire. It was  _that_ look that had made him feel bad enough to reveal what he was…

But he knew deep down that Valentine would not be able to handle  _this_ truth, the honest truth that he was part-vampire. He'd seen the look in the halfblood's eyes when Nico had said he'd turn him into a vampire if he were to die. Valentine had been scared,  _frightened_ even. He didn't want to be a vampire. A small part of Nico worried that if he told Valentine the truth, he wouldn't be able to handle it but the boy was driving him insane.

Why was  _he_ even worrying if Valentine broke down!? So what if he hated what he was, he'd have to learn to live with it eventually. It's not like he wasn't human, either.

Nico stepped away from the car, closing off some distance between him and the other boy. Valentine, without realizing it, took a step back to recreate that distance. He didn't like that empty stare in Nico's eyes.

"Fine, I'll tell you. You don't have a scent.  _Every_ living thing has a scent, and you don't," Nico stepped forward. Once more, Valentine took a step back. Nothing Nico was saying was making sense, but Valentine didn't interrupt.

"You're just like us. Like  _me._ Except only partly. One of your parents was human, the other a vampire," He explained, his voice suddenly going soft as he spoke of Valentine's parents. The halfblood was staring at him in confusion, and it wasn't helping the situation. He sighed, continuing. "Look, I don't know how it happened. Usually only vampires can mate with one another and have children, but a vampire and a human  _can't_ have children. They usually just die before they're born or they kill their mother as they're growing inside the womb, which just cuts off their life source. I don't know how you did it, but I think…you're born from a human and vampire," Nico wasn't able to read the expression on Valentine's face but it didn't look healthy. He paused, swallowing hard, then continued. "It hasn't really been proven yet that you have a vampire parent but you're…you're not human, either."

Valentine flinched.

"Harold found you about twelve years ago, someone had left you all banged up. Harold took you in and worked on healing you, but it took years for your scars and memories to fade. When you woke up, we had someone work on your memories so you'd remember some basic stuff about yourself and know enough to get by. We thought we were just fixing up a human, doing a favor to the world. Back in that forest, a girl bit you. You were probably too drunk to remember, but I saw the bite marks. She died, she literally  _bled_ out. That doesn't just happen. And when I bit you…" Nico's voice slightly shook, "I would have died if Harold hadn't pulled your blood out of me. That wouldn't happen if you were human. It wouldn't even happen if you were a vampire. So you're—"

"…Liar…"

The word was so faint that Nico almost didn't hear it, but he did. Valentine's knuckles were white and his face was pale. Nico could hear his breath trembling. He had already started, though, he couldn't just stop there.

"All your bite marks heal quickly, and that's just…weird. Even some of the oldest vampires don't heal that fast," He lowered his collar to reveal that the bite mark Stella had given him was still very clear. "Yours barely show for a few hours. And if your blood can really kill vampires, it's not a surprise the Elders are after you. And when they find out what it does… they're not going to leave you alone. You're supposed to be this super-vampire who's some special gem but they don't even know you're more human than anything else. They don't care about that, they're going to make you their new toy…"

Valentine was finding it harder to breathe. He didn't want to believe anything Nico was saying – he didn't  _have_ to believe anything he said, but it was still too much to hear.

A voice in the back of his mind seemed to whisper something repeatedly to him, over and over…

_You're a monster!_

Valentine's eyes widened.

"Like you heard her say, Stella can mess around with people's imaginations and make them believe that you  _do_ carry a scent. It's going to help if we're out in public like this. And—...Valentine?" Nico's dark gaze was fixed on the halfblood.

Valentine had a hand against his chest, his fingers tightly wrapped around the fabric of his shirt. His heart was beating fast as if it desperately wanted to escape, and it  _hurt._ He didn't understand this, he didn't understand any of this. Why was Nico saying these things…why did he keep lying? He felt a hand against his shoulder and Valentine immediately slapped Nico's hand away, taking a quick step back, "D-…don't touch me," he had trouble speaking around the lump in his throat, but the accusation was clear in his glazed, burning eyes, "You've no right to do this to me, to make me feel this way…no right…  _stop lying to me."_

_You're a monster, Valentine. I hate you, I hate you so much I NEVER want to see you again!_

Valentine squeezed his eyes shut, the grip on his shirt tightening. Why was that voice in his head? He wanted it to stop,  _needed_ it to stop. Wasn't Nico enough?! Did he really deserve all of this pain? All these lies?

Nico hesitated for a moment, not sure if Valentine was overreacting or if something was horribly wrong. The boy was trembling visibly and he was gripping his chest as if it would fly out if he didn't. He didn't know how to explain to Valentine that he  _wasn't_ lying without making it any worse, but he had to get the rest out. He needed Valentine to understand, to accept the truth.

"You drank Ivan's blood, didn't you?" Nico asked, his voice quiet.

Valentine's eyes shot up and he glared at Nico. What the  _hell_ was Nico trying to say? Ivan had  _forced_ him to drink his blood, it's not like he  _enjoyed_ it, right?!... _Right?_ "He  _made_ me do it," Valentine growled, unable to keep himself from shaking uncontrollably.

"Maybe at first. But something woke up inside you and you started to like it," Nico replied bluntly, "It's why you had that fever, it happens when vampires start to starve. If you didn't drink, you would have either died or gone into a hunger-frenzy."

" _Shut up,"_ Valentine hissed weakly, sickening hopelessness flooding through him.

_I hate you, I will never love you… How can I love a monster…How did Vincent expect me to raise one?!_

Valentine felt his nausea building up, and it didn't help that Nico was acting weird, saying weird things… He wanted both voices to shut up. He didn't want to know the truth anymore. He shivered. It  _wasn't_ the truth. He refused to believe it.

Nico raised a hand to his mouth and bit down into his palm. Blood began to seep out of the puncture wounds he made and Nico held his palm up for Valentine to see. "You can smell it, can't you?"

 _No._ Valentine didn't smell anything. Just that stupid lavender scent Nico carried around with him—

_Lavender._

Nico saw Valentine flinch and he slowly lowered his hand, slightly pleased. "See?" Valentine didn't see anything. He wanted that stupid lavender scent to go away, but it was just filling the air. Blood was supposed to smell like  _metal,_ wasn't it?

"Come taste it."

Nico's words made Valentine reel in shock for a moment. Confusion and anger mixed with something that Valentine couldn't interpret and he found himself gaping at Nico. Was he  _serious?_ "You're disgusting," Valentine replied back in a low hiss. He felt so hurt, he needed to direct his pain at something, at  _someone. "You're_ a monster."

 _He_ was a monster? Nico closed the distance between them too quickly for Valentine to react and his fingers squeezed harshly into the halfblood's arms as he pinned him against the wall of the club. He'd tried to be gentle while he explained Valentine's situation but the boy was being so  _difficult._ And Valentine didn't even have the grace to be sensible about how uncomfortable it made Nico feel to have to explain something he didn't even  _understand_ himself. No…  _he_ had to make Nico feel guilty, had to blow everything out of proportion and make a constant struggle out of this until Nico was so frustrated and worn out that he could just scream.

Nico's dark green eyes smoldered dangerously. "Disgusting?" He said softly, somewhere between a snarl and a purr. "You think everything about us vampires is disgusting. Well I have news for you, Valentine… we don't even know what  _you_ are.  _You're not even one of us._ You can deny it all you want, you can pretend you're human, but you're nothing but a blood sucking monster, just like me. You desire blood just as much as I do…" Nico was very close, his breath brushing Valentine's skin, "You desire… _this."_ Nico slammed his bleeding palm against Valentine's mouth and held it in place, forcing the boy to taste the blood. Something on the side of his upper back suddenly began to burn but he was too caught up to pay attention to it. "…As much as  _any_ of us, if not more. But how would I know?  _You're_ the one who's not even a human or a vampire. So if I'm lying, then please  _humor_ me and tell me what the hell you are. Because it seems to me like your parents gave up trying to figure that out long ago."

He pressed his palm tightly against Valentine's mouth, forcing the halfblood's head against the wall. More blood seeped through the wound and slipped into Valentine's mouth. He raged against it, against Nico's words and against the undeniable truth of his own needy reaction. His eyes had begun to glow and he found himself swallowing the sweet blood,  _enjoying_ it even, against his will. His back was pressed so hard against the wall that it hurt,  _stung_ even.

"Is this disgusting, Valentine? Does it  _taste_ disgusting?" He growled, heart pounding against his chest, "Does it  _taste_ like a lie? You're  _not_ human. So stop convincing yourself that you're  _oh so normal,_ when the truth is that your parents left you probably so you didn't turn into  _this._ I doubt Harold would have picked you off the  _streets_ all those years ago if he knew you wouldn't turn out to be normal."

Valentine's vision was swimming as his eyes filled with tears. His lungs and throat were burning as Nico kept his airways covered for far longer than was safe. But none of that seemed to bother him as much as the shame that burned his body with every sip of blood he took. The hot, salty traitorous drops escaped down his face in pain and shame, fully displaying his helpless vulnerability. It was a sight that made Nico's heart tighten and his glare slowly disappeared.

Valentine was still trembling as Nico slowly pulled his palm away. Valentine's fangs were extended and covered with Nico's blood and had the vampire not been so angry with Valentine, he would have thought the image to be somewhat intoxicating. But right now, it was just pleasing because he knew Valentine would finally see the truth for himself.

"Wipe your mouth and get in the car." Nico muttered quietly as he released Valentine's arm and turned around, making his way to the car. He slipped into the driver's seat and put on his seatbelt.

It took him a while, but Valentine reluctantly made it inside the car as well.

If he wasn't confused and broken before, he was now.


	17. Marked

**Chapter 16 – Marked**

By the next morning, Harold had contacted Nico and announced that the Elders had stopped lingering around their house, which meant it was finally safe for the boys to return.

Neither of the boys had spoken more than a total of five words to each other since Nico had told Valentine the truth, but both boys seemed to be pleased with the silence. It lasted all the way during their drive back to the mansion.

The vampires at the mansion seemed to sense that something was wrong between the two boys but they were mostly glad to see they were just alive. Nico ignored the questioning look Harold gave him as he stepped inside, kicking off his shoes. The elder vampire knew something had happened, and the distant, somewhat depressed stare Valentine was carrying around seemed to give him a hint as to what it was that had happened.

Ivan was the first to break the miserable silence that had fallen down since their return.

"Jeeze, what happened out there? Did you two break up?" Ivan grinned, trying to lighten up the mood.

Apparently, neither boy thought it was the slightest bit humorous. Valentine stood awkwardly near the front door, not wanting to go any deeper into the house, while Nico had settled down on a sofa. Ever since his argument with Valentine, something had been stinging at his back, which didn't help his irritation.

"I'll take that as a yes?" Ivan squeaked, voice suddenly small.

"He knows everything." Nico stated flatly out loud. The vampires in the room tensed. 'Everything' was such a strong, broad word that could've easily meant Valentine either knew about his past, or the fact that vampires existed, or the fact that  _he_ was a vampire…

Ivan's eyebrows went up. "Everything?"

"He knows  _everything_ ," Nico repeated, shooting Ivan a deadly glare. It wasn't one of Nico's playful glares, he was being dead serious.

Valentine pressed his back against the front door. His fingers dug against the wooden door, wishing he could just  _disappear_ into it. He'd tried so hard to make sense of everything Nico had told him but it hurt too much to think about. It hurt because a small part of him felt that Nico  _did_ tell him the truth. He  _was_ a monster, and his parents hadn't wanted him…

It made him wonder if the voices inside his head, the strange flashbacks he'd been getting… had those been of his mom? His mother had hated him with a fiery passion… Valentine bit down on his tongue to keep himself from crying. Though honestly, he wasn't sure he had any tears left.

"Oh." Ivan replied. Very slowly, his gaze slid to the figure standing at the door. He was almost too afraid to look at Valentine and the other vampires seemed to feel that way because  _none_ of them could make eye contact with him.

Harold was the first to approach Valentine. He placed a warm hand against the back of his neck and pulled him close until he could wrap his other arm around him. It was a hug Valentine didn't deserve and he stood absolutely still, feeling the heat rise to his face as tears rose to his eyes once more.  _No. Don't let them see you cry,_ he told himself, unable to stop himself from trembling.  _Monsters don't cry._

Valentine felt it was wrong to enjoy the warmth Harold's hug was giving him, but he  _did_ enjoy it. It was the first ounce of true safety he'd felt in a long time and he desperately wanted to melt into it, but he knew he couldn't. Slowly, he pushed himself away from Harold. "I don't want to stay here," his voice was low, broken. "I can find my way back." It was a pleading attempt for Harold to understand that he wanted to be left alone.

Harold looked sympathetically at the boy and nodded, "I know you can… but it's not safe. At least let someone take you back?" He truly did not want to leave Valentine alone at the apartment, but he had a feeling now was not the time to push the boy.

Slowly, Valentine shook his head. No. He wanted to be absolutely alone, it didn't feel right to burden them any longer. They'd looked after him for this long, but…

He wasn't human. He wasn't what they had expected, and he could no longer impose himself on them.

Harold let out a tiny sigh but nodded. He squeezed Valentine's shoulder reassuringly. "If you need us, we'll be right here. And if you get hungry…" Valentine flinched. He had a feeling he wasn't talking about the happy meals and spaghetti type of hungry. "Don't wait too long to eat. We're here if you need help."

Valentine swallowed his guilt and nodded once before finding his way out of the mansion.

"He did  _not_ look okay…how can you let him go?" Violet asked, looking sullen as Harold locked the door.

"He needs to be on his own, to take in everything he learned." He cast Nico a glance, "I hope you at least kept out the fact that his parents might have tossed him aside…"

Nico stayed quiet, not denying nor accepting anything. The silence spoke the answer loud and clear, though.

"Hell, Nico, did you leave  _anything_ out?" Harold asked, voice shaking with worry. He saw these vampires as if they were his children, and Valentine was just as much of his child as any of these vampires were. They had to understand how hard this was for him.

"Few minor details," Nico replied, keeping his answers short. His back was starting to really bug him and he'd been driving for  _hours_. He felt guilty for the way he broke the news out to Valentine, but it was too late to take back his words. Now, he just wanted to get some rest. The faster he could through these questions, the better.

"I know this is a bad time, but… what are we going to do about the Elder that took Val's blood?" Ivan asked, breaking in before Harold had a chance to ask another drilling question. Ever since Nico had told them what had happened with Tristian, the vampires at the mansion had felt panicky. How could they not? Blood that killed other vampires was in the hands of the Elders. That wasn't dangerous just for their race… it was dangerous for Valentine, too. There was no doubt they'd try to go after him again. It was surprising enough that they hadn't just abducted him the first time.

"Nothing for now," Harold replied with a tired sigh. "It's only a matter of time before they discover Valentine's blood is a poison. They won't kill him, I'm not even worried about that… I'm only worried what'll happen if they  _don't_ kill him."

The words chilled the other vampires, but Harold didn't elaborate any further. They all knew Valentine's blood was dangerous, but they couldn't imagine how the Elders would use it.

A low groan escaped the figure on the couch and all heads turned to Nico, who had his shoulders pressed against the sofa, his back slightly arching. Pain was etched all over his face as he reached over his shoulder and tried to scratch at whatever was hurting his back. It was the same, unfamiliar stinging sensation he'd felt earlier when he'd argued with Valentine but this time, it was hard to ignore.

Harold was at the blonde's side in a matter of seconds. He yanked Nico's body upright but the younger vampire twisted himself away, trying to protest, "Lemme alone…" He mumbled, his face twisted in pain.

Ignoring him, Harold grabbed the back of Nico's shirt and pulled it, his face turning grim when he saw the familiar and haunting small sideways 'S' against Nico's left shoulder blade. The shape looked like it had been burned into Nico's skin but instead of sticking out like a normal burn would have done, the strange symbol was burned  _inside_ the skin, denting into the flesh. It was small, but the redness around it was spreading and blistering. The scent of lavender was heavy in the air. Harold spun Nico to face him. The blonde's face was flushed, his pupils dilated, his body tense, heart-rate accelerated. He couldn't even hide the physical signs of distress now.

Harold's stomach sank to his toes. "Damn it, Nico, why didn't you tell me?" he demanded, worry making his tone harsh.

Nico was taken aback by Harold's behavior and cast an irritating, measuring gaze at him, "Harold, what the hell are you talking about?" He asked, trying to keep his tone cool. He kept his hands at his sides so Harold couldn't see them tremble, "Tell you  _what?"_

Harold grabbed his cellphone and was quick to take a picture of Nico's back. He showed it to the boy and Nico winced. "Tell me about  _this,"_ Harold rasped softly, fingers softly sliding to pull Nico's shirt off, fumbling slightly as he tugged it away from the blonde's head with earnest urgency. _Crap, crap, crap! What the hell had Nico done?!_

Nico dug his feet into the ground and tried to scoot away on the couch on instinct, slapping Harold's hands away from him. "I don't know what the hell that is. You can't just come and start undressing me and throwing all kinds of fits!" He snapped. Pain was not making the vampire the most patient or rational man in the world right now.

It was Harold's turn to be taken aback by Nico's sharp rebuff. He was trying to help, what was the kid's problem? But Harold was feeling too worried and guilty to get very angry. "Don't be an ass, Nico; you have to let me help you. This engraving…"

"Was  _not_ my fault, so stop blaming everything  _on me."_ Nico interrupted acidly. His face creased with pain and he urgently wanted to lay back down. He was starting to hyperventilate.  _Oh god.._

Harold wasn't in his right mind to start caring about how the boy might feel about the constant blame he placed on him. What he was looking at right now was something  _very_ serious, and he was honestly surprised Nico didn't recognize it. He'd told the boy to read the stupid vampire books that would teach him about the different types of charms and abilities vampires were capable of… now, it was apparent that he  _hadn't._

"It  _is_ your fault, you ignorant boy," Harold seethed as he tossed Nico's shirt away. His hands reached up and he gently pressed against the reddened area. Nico inhaled sharply, but Harold's touch was soothing, even if it was painful, and he carefully held himself still, "I haven't seen this in _centuries…"_

Nico glared at the carpet, "You're not that fucking old. Now hurry up and get rid of it or stop touching it. It  _hurts,"_ he growled.

Harold wanted to smack the boy for being so ignorant, but that wouldn't help the matter. "I  _can't._ This symbol is a bond mark. It's something that was forbidden from being created  _centuries_ ago. You're connected for life with someone else, which means you will _literally_ be depended on them for life. Their blood is the only blood you can drink, and when they die, so will you. You will be able to feel their every emotion…And it will be the same for them. That's why it was forbidden, too many bonded vampires died or could not stand to bear their partner's emotions on top of theirs. Now, creating this bond or even  _attempting_ to do it is punishable by death." Harold shook his head, not understanding  _how_ Nico managed to get himself tangled in this mess. "I don't understand…you need so many human sacrifices to have enough blood to create the bond… Have you  _killed_ anyone as of late?"

Nico was trying to focus on the cool, smooth feeling of Harold's lightly callused palm sliding gently across his flaming skin, his eyes un-focusing slightly. Human sacrifices?! What the  _hell?_ He realized Harold was looking at him dead serious, waiting for an answer. " _No,"_ he hissed between gritted teeth.

"Well… have you exchanged blood with anyone recently!?" Harold asked impatiently.

Arielle had settled herself by Nico's side and was holding his hand between hers. He squeezed one of her hands into a death grip, appreciating having something to hold on to. She winced when his fingernails dug into her skin the second Harold asked the accusing question.

'Exchanging blood' meant he'd given someone his blood and had taken their blood in return. The only blood he'd taken as of late was…

" _Valentine."_

The word came out sounding somewhere between a growl and venomous hiss. Of  _course_ it was that vermin, who else could put him through so much pain even when he  _wasn't_ around?!

"Oh. Oh dear." Harold suddenly stopped rubbing Nico's back and the boy shuddered, his body falling against Arielle. Blushing, she freed one of her hands and wrapped it against Nico's back, careful not to touch the mark on his shoulder blade. His head fell into the space between her jaw and collarbone, his eyes fluttering shut as he tried to even out his breathing. His back was literally burning and he felt an annoying feeling at the pit of his stomach that felt oddly like guilt and fear.

"If you didn't use any human sacrifices, then it's impossible…. Unless… simply exchanging blood with him did the trick? Must be a halfblood thing…" Harold was speaking mostly to himself now as he stood up. "This is not good,  _not_ good…"

"Wait… if he's bonded with Nico, he has to survive  _only_ on his blood?! Nico can't do that… Valentine's blood is toxic…that's not fair…" Violet's eyes were wide.

Harold merely nodded as if this was now old news.

"Valentine ages… does that mean Nico only has less than a century before he dies, too?" Arielle looked shaken up, her fingers gripping Nico's hand just as tightly as he was holding hers.

Again, Harold nodded. None of this seemed to surprise him.

Ivan frowned. "I've read about this thing before. It's not supposed to hurt unless someone on one end of the bond is emotionally or physically distressed."

This time, Harold didn't nod. He'd been too focused on the idea that the bond's creation was somewhat  _impossible,_ that he'd nearly forgotten what the bond's sudden reddening might imply.

Valentine was in trouble.

* * *

The halfblood had managed to make it home safe and sound, though he couldn't get rid of the surge of despair he felt when he stepped into the empty living room of his apartment. It was so  _quiet,_ so soulless; a huge contrast to the busy life back at the mansion.

The apartment was a huge reminder of the life that wasn't his. As Valentine walked into his bedroom, he began to wonder  _when_ he'd even rented the apartment. The fact that he never had to pay a rent because he had ' _friends in high places'_ was now clearly bothering him, because now he  _knew_ those friends were just the vampires that had torn his life away from him to begin with. Valentine knew he was being bitter, but he couldn't help it. A small part of him wondered if his parents would have grown to love him, to just  _deal_ with the fact that he wasn't the perfect little child they'd hoped for. But  _no._ Harold had to just butt in and take him in, didn't he? Yes, he was grateful that at least  _someone_ cared for him at one point, but Harold had kept him  _somewhere_ for more than twelve years of his life, away from the rest of the world. Was that the definition of caring?

How would he know? He was a monster, after all.

Valentine snorted bitterly out loud. He kicked off his shoes and slipped into the bathroom. He'd spent the past day being depressed over Nico's words but now he was just  _angry._ Angry at the fact that he wasn't even supposed to exist, angry that the small part of his life that he'd actually lived had been a  _lie._

Was his name even Valentine? He had no idea. He didn't even know how his parents looked, or if they were even alive for that matter. The faint flashbacks he'd been getting could have been of his mother, but he hardly remembered the face…he only remembered the anger, the hatred.

Something inside the halfblood felt like it was dying. He felt like Harold and the stupid vampires he lived with had all played one big joke with his life. Mr. Brigg? Was that his disguise, to make sure Valentine wasn't a complete fuck up after not having a life for 12 years? It explained why he'd been so rough on him as a teacher, that's for sure. Stupid, incorrigible vampires…

Valentine was a monster?  _Fine._ He'll accept his fate, now that he at least  _knew_ what he was. Hell, it was the only thing out of his life that seemed to make sense so far. Nico had made it  _very_ clear that he was not a human or a vampire, so all that was left was  _creature._ Some monster that could not be fed on but could feed as he pleased on other living creatures and  _enjoy_ it.  _Monster_ seemed like an appropriate term.

Valentine turned on the hot water and stepped into the shower after peeling off his clothes. He was so incredibly, incurably  _dirty._ Soap and water could never wash it away, not even if he bathed in a sea of bleach. The hot water hurt like hell as it burned his skin, turning it red as steam built up quickly in the bathroom. Soon enough, the hot water falling from his hair and dropping onto his cheeks wasn't the only liquid that was falling down his cheeks. He thought he'd run out of tears, but he'd clearly been wrong. He'd been so wrong about  _so_ many things as of late.

It was selfish that he'd accepted the fact that Harold and the others were vampires… because it was  _their_ life that was so different. Yet, he couldn't accept that  _his_ life was messed up. Perhaps he  _did_ know he lived a corrupted life, but having it told to his face the way Nico had done made Valentine's heart tighten in a pain that hurt much deeper than the hot water that was dripping down his skin.

Nico…

Valentine gritted his teeth and he grabbed his shampoo bottle, his fingers tightening around it until the white substance between to squeeze out despite it not being flipped over. He  _despised_ that vampire. Maybe he didn't deserve to be hated that much, but Valentine didn't know where else to pin his blame. He'd already blamed himself for being too blind and ignorant to believe the truth when it was right in front of him, but who else could he blame for making him feel like the monster he apparently was?

Valentine wasn't sure how long he was in the shower, but it couldn't have been any less than an hour. Eventually, he turned off the water and stepped out, his whole body felt numb and was completely reddened from the long exposure to the hot water.

Whatever, it would heal in time. Apparently, it would heal  _quickly,_ because he was so damn  _different._

The shower had been relaxing, but hardly cleansing for Valentine's broken soul and the halfblood still felt tense by the time he shut the water off and stepped out. He dried off and then wrapped the towel carelessly around his waist, sweeping his clothes up in one hand before heading into his bedroom.

He was unprepared to find that he was no longer alone. A man was sprawled across Valentine's bed, his arms crossed behind his head on the pillow. His eyes fluttered open, revealing familiar almond-colored eyes and he bore his usual bored expression.

The man let out a low whistle as his eyes caught sight of Valentine's revealing attire. "What a sight.."

Valentine held his breath in surprise and pulled up short. His clothes slipped accidentally from his hand to the floor.

Tristian's lazy gaze tore through Valentine as the halfblood took a step back, his back missing the bathroom doorway somehow and he ended up pressed against the bedroom wall. What the  _hell_ was the Elder doing  _here?_

Slowly, Tristian sat up and Valentine's eyes slid up to the Elder's hair. The tips of the usually dark brown hair had been dyed yellow and it was styled upwards, which somehow added to his arrogant aura. Valentine knew the Elder's appearance should have been the least of his concern, but still, it was a surprise nonetheless. Tristian seemed to notice where Valentine's gaze was and he raised a hand, his fingers lightly brushing over the tips of his hair, "Like it?" He asked, his strangely warm eyes narrowing. "I got it especially done before coming to see you." Something in Tristian's tone irked Valentine but the halfblood decided not to say anything and remained pressed against the wall, his thoughts going into overdrive as he desperately sought out a plan to get away from the Elder.

Tristian smiled, his almond-colored eyes sparkling and for a moment, Valentine thought he looked  _kind._ "I hope you don't mind that I invited myself in. The neighborhood had been so…" the corner of his lips twitched as he hid a small smirk, "… _willing._ They led me to you straight away."

Valentine wasn't sure  _who_ in the neighborhood knew where he lived, but that didn't seem to matter at the moment. Tristian was here,  _now,_ at this moment and Valentine wasn't sure if bolting out the door would be enough to escape. That's what mattered.

When Valentine refused to add his own input into the conversation, Tristian lowered his hand from his hair and peered at the halfblood, "You don't have to stand there looking so stiff, you know," he shook his head, disappointed. "Such a turn of," he commented conversationally. "But I guess I can't say that  _now,_ when you're looking so hot in that towel…" Valentine was flushing despite himself and Tristian devoured the halfblood's heated expression. What the  _hell_ was wrong with this guy? Valentine was certain the Elder was toying with him the same way a cat played with a mouse while they were slowly devoured.

Tristian finally tore his gaze away from the appealing sight and Valentine had to bite his tongue to keep himself from sighing out loud in relief. "Anyway, if you've finished assessing your situation, feel free to try and escape. I'm sure you want to look around for anything you can use, test my strength and patience perhaps, and see whether or not you can make it out alive without hurting yourself. Please go right ahead, might as well get that over with up front." Tristian ran his fingers against the blanket underneath him as he watched Valentine from the corner of his eyes as the halfblood's blue eyes widened and glared silently at him. He thought Valentine's eyes were fascinating. They weren't that intense blue in a vampiric manner, it was simply their natural color, and it was quite appealing.

Valentine already knew he didn't have any way out but he did grasp his towel tightly to keep it from falling as he bent down and grabbed the clothes he'd dropped.

"Aww, already ruining my fun? Leave 'em off!"

Valentine's jaw muscles worked. The smug bastard was enjoying this far too much. Tristian could have easily taken whatever he wanted from Valentine without making him feel this awkward and hopeless, but it was so very obvious that he was taking his time to play  _games_ with Valentine's patience. Ignoring the vampire's remark, Valentine held the bundle of clothes against his chest. "Why are you…here?" Valentine finally managed, his voice small. He already knew what the Elder wanted from him, but it was probably a good idea to keep him talking until he could figure a way out.

Tristian stood up and glided over to Valentine, graceful as a cat. His long fingers slid across the halfblood's soft, perfect skin, feeling the shape of his shoulder and ghosting across one wine-colored nipple, which immediately pebbled in response.

Valentine took a quick step back, his cheeks burning. He didn't like being touched in that manner, nor being treated like prey. "Don't," he warned the Elder tersely. "If you're here for more blood, just take it. Otherwise, leave." It was only a partially empty threat. Valentine was getting seriously uneasy and whatever was making his upper back slightly sting was starting to seriously bother him.

Tristian seemed to sense his prey's discomfort and backed off a little. His hands slid to hold the boy's shoulders instead as his head dipped down to the slender, graceful curve of the young neck.

Valentine clenched his fists and closed his eyes as he felt the other man's hot, wet mouth licking and sucking on the side of his neck. He felt the sharp points of the Elder's fangs delicately grazing his skin and it took a lot of strength to repress a shiver at the sensation. It was disgusting and he wanted it to be over. He wasn't even sure he felt frightened any more by the sensation of teeth against his skin; then again, Valentine was feeling very indifferent to everything at the present moment. He just felt dead inside. A small part of him wondered why the Elder was about to take his blood when he'd witnessed  _exactly_ what would happen if he did – but Valentine wasn't about to complain. He didn't know if his blood would kill the Elder, but at least it would give him time to escape because it  _was_ toxic after all.

"Mmm…" The Elder hummed against the other boy's skin. "You know, here's the funny thing, halfblood. I didn't come here for your blood….I came here for  _you._ "

Something in the Elder's tone froze Valentine's blood in his veins. He didn't have time to understand yet what the other man meant, but he already knew he didn't like it. Even as Valentine started to tense and open his eyes, he felt a quick, sharp jab of pain at the base of his neck. For a moment he thought he'd been bitten, but it wasn't the Elder's fangs which had pierced him. It was some sort of needle which Tristian had pulled discreetly from his sleeve behind the young halfblood's back while Valentine was distracted by what was being done to his neck.

Valentine felt an intense moment of searing, fiery pain as the anesthesia entered his system, feeling as if it was pulling him down to the ground. The world was going soft and grey around the edges of his eyes. Everything but the sound of his own thudding heartbeat became muffled.

Unable to support himself, Valentine sagged against the Elder, who was quickly dissolving into a surreal blur of colors and disjointed shapes. His head rested limply against the other man's chest, but the voice under his ear seemed to be coming from very far away.

"What a pity your friend wasn't with you here. He was a cute, feisty one, but I had a feeling he'd be a nuisance if I came after you with him around. It's too bad…"

Valentine could only vaguely register what was being said. " _Nico…"_ he mumbled without really meaning to, lights beginning to dance behind his eyes as the world faded away.

Naturally, Valentine had not realized just how much trouble he was in until it was too late. He'd been too caught up getting so upset and angry at Nico and the others for revealing the unwanted truth about his vampire half that he didn't realize they probably had good reason to do so. If his blood really was toxic, it could possibly be used as a weapon against other vampires… if this Elder really was 'dangerous' like Nico had warned, then he wouldn't just  _kill_ Valentine, no… he'd  _use_ him. Use his blood, somehow. Why else would he put him down like this?

He'd been too weak and hopeless to protect himself, and now he realized too late that he would be used against other vampires… As much as he hated the vampires he knew of at that very moment, Valentine couldn't stand the thought of watching them get hurt. Were they going to die? Were the Elders going to kill off every vampire besides themselves?

In the dazed grip of the drug, Valentine felt a tug of remorse for having gotten not only himself, but others involved in this mess as well. " _Don't…hurt…"_ he couldn't finish, the words wouldn't form in his brain, much less on his lips.

Tristian stroked his hair. "Really, Valentine… you shouldn't worry about the others at a moment like this. Now just relax…. Don't fight it, that's right…"

The Elder was still speaking, saying something else… but Valentine could no longer hear him. The drug brought an unnatural calm along with the deadening of his senses, yet even so, a small, sharp slice of fear and defeat cut through Valentine's fading consciousness just before it winked out completely.


	18. Nightmare

**Chapter 17 – Nightmare**

Consciousness returned slowly to Valentine, and it was not very welcome at all. His head burned as if it was filled with hot sand and his body ached about the same and his insides were knotting were with painful cramps. To it put crudely… he felt like crap.

He tried to lift his hand to his head, but that seemed impossible because his hands were tied with something and he was apparently incapable of moving them. Much slower than he would have liked, Valentine realized his bare back was against a cold wall and his legs were stretched out in front of him. Whoever had captured him at least had the decency to put some pants on him. Something like a clear tube was attached to his arm like an IV and the other end was connected to… another figure, far in the corner across from where Valentine had been placed. He frowned at the crimson fluid running through the tube and it took him moments to realize the blood seeping from his end was moving toward that figure, going  _inside_ them. Who the hell was that, anyway…? He could tell the small, curled up figure belonged to a small girl but her face was turned to the wall, away from him.

The room was not small, but not large either and it was completely  _white_. It possessed no windows and only one door, which he just bet was locked from the outside. Only his hands were tied with a thick rope material, but even then, they were tied in  _front_ of him. Obviously, the lack of restraint meant his captors weren't too afraid of Valentine getting up and walking as he pleased. So… they weren't really afraid of him or his toxic blood or any of that. Great.

After a few minutes effort, Valentine managed to drag himself to his feet. It wasn't easy, he was weak and ravenously tired, but some significant time must have passed while he was unconscious, because his body had naturally regained a little bit of strength. At least he could stand… and only swayed a little. Valentine was thoughtfully testing the strength of the rope as he approached the figure. The tube that allowed his blood to freely travel inside her had been placed under her shirt. Valentine reached down and slowly peeled her shirt upwards, revealing the needle that was poking into her pale skin, connected to the tube. Very carefully, Valentine twisted his hands in the rope until he was able to grab hold of the needle. He didn't know who this girl was or why they were giving her his blood, but it was clear they had given her  _a lot_ of it, considering how lightheaded he was feeling. He pinched the needle, preparing to take it out.

The door suddenly burst open and a familiar Elder slid inside, shaking his finger at Valentine. "Tsk, tsk. Wouldn't do that if I were you," He said, his tone calm as he shut the door and stepped closer to Valentine, who quickly retreated way from the girl mostly to get away from the Elder. He couldn't help the way he shrank back slightly as his heart raced panic.

"Wh-…where am I?" Valentine stuttered, realizing just how dry his throat was when the words hurt to speak, "Why am I here?!" The halfblood appeared ready to boil over again, his tied hands trying to clench into fists.

"Because you're special," Tristian replied simply. His eyes suddenly appeared deeper and Valentine felt the need to pry his gaze away from them. But he found himself unable to, he was too entrapped by their mesmerizing warmth. He felt a familiar calmness wash over him, soothing his panicked and alert senses and very slowly, he lowered his restrained arms and his fingers uncurled from the fists they'd been trying to form. He was safe…wasn't he? He  _felt_ safe, and so warm…

Tristian seemed pleased. Using his ability on the halfblood was far too easy and it seemed the boy had no idea how to avoid getting hit with it. It was very fortunate for the Elder things worked out that way.

Though he felt very soothed and it seemed like nothing in the world could ever burden him at the moment, Valentine was watching with awareness as the Elder carelessly pressed the sole of his shoe against the tiny figure that lay bundled up on the hard ground. Tristian turned the girl over with his foot and her face came into view, making Valentine tilt his head in curiosity. The girl was barely in her early teen years and though she had no visible wounds or scars, she didn't seem to be breathing either.

"Seem familiar?" Tristian asked, his gaze shifting back to the numbed boy. Valentine didn't reply; he couldn't really process what he was seeing, but he  _was_ seeing it. There was something familiar about the girl, but he couldn't grasp what it was until Tristian spoke again. "She should be, she was the first one to taste your blood," He added, a small amusement in his tone.

Valentine felt too entrapped by the warmth and sense of protection he was feeling that he couldn't really bring himself to care for Tristian's explanation. So what if she was the first? She looked dead now, so whatever. He was safe here, unlike her; she was already long gone.

Tristian could tell his ability had washed over Valentine a bit too deep. He only wanted the boy to relax, but it was apparent he was  _too_ relaxed. With a small sigh, he stopped forcing his will onto Valentine and watched as moments later, Valentine's panic slowly returned to his eyes.

The halfblood took a step back away from the girl. She was very much  _dead_ at this moment. Had  _he_ really done that? He faintly remembered seeing the girl once, back in the forest…

And just like that, Valentine suddenly recalled  _why_ she was so damn familiar. It was the same vampire that had attacked him  _weeks_ ago, though the memory was all a big blur and he could only rely on what Tristian was telling him.

"She was found completely drained of blood," The amusement was very evident in Tristian's tone now. He thought this was somehow  _funny._ "Vampires don't internally bleed naturally," he winked at Valentine. "Anyway, we found something interesting in your blood, and we think it might revive the vampire girl."

 _We?_ Who was this ' _we'?_ Valentine assumed it was more Elders, but it scared him too much to think about it. He didn't understand what Tristian was saying – how the hell would his blood revive a dead vampire if his blood was the reason she was dead in the first place? All of this seemed like complete nonsense and he just wished it would all end.

Tristian looked like he was about to say something but before the words could form on his lips, another vampire stepped into the room. Valentine frowned at the sight of the small girl, wondering if she was an Elder as well.

"Tristy! You didn't tell me he woke up!" The girl pouted, kicking the door shut before skipping over to Valentine. The halfblood tried to take a step back but there was not much route for escape and it made it seem like he was trying to hide behind Tristian.

The male vampire rolled his eyes, "Mmm... My bad, Lucy. He's all yours." Tristian stepped away from the group and stood in the far back of the room, observing quietly. Something like an irritated twitch appeared as he watched Lucy place one of her small hands against Valentine's bare chest.

"It's  _so_ wonderful to finally have you here," the girl squealed, as if Valentine was some guest that had actually been invited in, not drugged and dragged in. But those were just tiny details, right? Valentine stepped away to avoid contact with her hand, but she continued, seeming unbothered by this. "It's so good that you're awake,  _so_ many friends are coming over from far away to see you for themselves," Her excited face suddenly fell, "It's just upsetting that…"

From the back of the room, Tristian cleared his throat out loud, "Do not worry, Lucinda. We'll find a way to get rid of the bond. It's not like we haven't done it before."

 _Bond?_ What the hell were they talking about? Valentine started to open his mouth and ask that question, but a sudden wave of lightheadedness washed over him and he suddenly stumbled backwards, his back hitting the wall. They were giving too much of his blood to the girl…  _a dead girl._ Were they insane?

They had to be, Valentine was sure of it.

The 'Lucinda' vampire looked into Valentine's confused eyes for a brief moment before turning her attention back to the other Elder, pretending not to take notice of how fast Valentine was fading away. "Yes, but we can't guarantee that the one he's marked with will survive breaking such a strong bond."

A snort escaped Tristian and he looked at the vampire girl as if she was insane, "But we don't care about that, now do we?"

The girl seemed distracted for a moment before she finally nodded. "Anyway, we must not waste any more time on this. Prepare him for the visitors… and Tristian?"

The boy tilted his head up. Lucinda was no longer looking at him, but at Valentine. "Hmm?" Tristian asked, appearing more bored than ever.

"Get rid of this  _ridiculously_ fake smell off him. Whoever placed it on him must be  _absurdly_ inexperienced."

"Of course," Tristian replied, a silent promise to do as she wished. Valentine could tell that despite their clear physical age differences, it was apparent that the female Elder held more power than Tristian. The halfblood couldn't imagine anyone stronger and more intimidating than Tristian, honestly.

"Also, clean him up and style that ridiculous mop of hair," She waved a hand in annoyance, her gaze now on Valentine's hair, which hadn't been cut in a few good weeks and kept constantly falling into his eyes.

Once more, Tristian let out a tiny grunt in compliance.

"When the guests come, try to distract their attention from the bond mark. They'll notice it for sure, but some of the people I have invited are rather  _modern_ and would seek to get rid of him to comply with the rules of the century, which clearly state that such bonds are utterly forbidden," She frowned. "Honestly, it would be quite a waste if they wished to get rid of a half-blood due to such trivial reasons."

Tristian's eyes fluttered shut. He had a feeling Lucinda would place him in charge of  _everything_ at this point. He didn't mind since he found the halfblood intriguing, but Lucinda was a perfectionist and if everything didn't come out the way she desired, there was no doubt she'd have a tantrum. So once again, he nodded and let out a tiny, "Mm-hmm," to let her know he heard her.

"And last thing…" She ignored the tiny sigh Tristian released. "I need you to obtain a sperm sample from him. We need to get started on seeing if we can breed more of his kind."

Valentine, who had been leaning somewhat limply against the wall to keep himself from falling over, was suddenly awakened in alert by Lucinda's last request. A  _sperm_ sample?  _Breed?_ He was certain he'd heard wrong – perhaps he was just having a nightmare? Either way, he found himself pressing his back hard against the wall as he mentally willed himself to just  _disappear._ He didn't even want to know how they'd obtain this 'sperm sample' of Elders weren't just testing out his blood, they wanted to make  _more_ of him…to have  _more_ of his blood. As if that thought wasn't terrifying enough, fear and dread suddenly tore through Valentine as he realized what it could also imply.

He'd no longer be needed, if others like him were forced into creation.

They were going to get rid of him.

Another horrid thought ripped through every fiber of his being when he saw Tristian's eyes flutter open. The almond-colored eyes were intensified with something that Valentine recognized far too deeply. He'd seen it in Nico's eyes when the vampire had gone into a frenzy and tore at his neck… It was the same lusting, desire-filled gaze.

The gaze was aimed right at him.

"Of course, Lucinda. Consider it done." The corner of the Elder's lips slightly quirked in a hungry smile.

* * *

Nico held his breath for five seconds before letting it out. Drew another one, held it again for the same length, as he mixed together the few soothing ingredients Harold had bought him. The breathing technique was one of many he'd learned in the course of his life to deal with pain. It wasn't helping a lot right now though.

His hand shook slightly as he added oil to the liquid herb mixture in the bowl on the living room table. It wasn't anything special or exotic, it was basically an herbal salve made of olive oil, mint, and green tea. It was getting increasingly difficult to concentrate, however. The more time passed, the deeper in the burning sensation seemed to settle. He was feeling  _scared,_ terrified out of his mind and he didn't even know why. Harold had tried to explain that he'd feel whatever Valentine was feeling at the moment, but what the hell would make the stupid halfblood  _this_ scared!?

He'd been so angry that he'd tried to go out into the sun and let the UV heat melt away at his strength. Vampires wouldn't exactly burn or die under sunlight, but the heat made them extremely uncomfortable and powerless. It was only dangerous if they were out for a long time, and Nico was honestly willing to stay outside for  _hours_ if it meant Valentine would feel the discomfort. In some way, he felt that Valentine  _did_ feel it, because there were times when the emotions of fear were shrouded with something that felt oddly like nausea. But always, the fear and panic returned and it drove Nico insane enough to hurt himself even further if it meant Valentine would feel the pain he felt at this moment. Nico's jaw clenched silently.  _Well I hope you enjoy it, Val. Two can play that game if that's what you want, and you won't like the way I play._

Of course, had the other vampires been around to witness what Nico had been trying to do, they would have stopped him. But most of them had left to search for Valentine to make sure the wretched halfblood was okay. Only Arielle had stayed back at the mansion to make sure Nico's condition didn't worsen.

When drowning down half the herbal mixture didn't seem to comfort him, Nico resisted the urge to fling the bowl at the far wall. A flower vase in the corner cracked from the unintentional weight of his frustration swirling around the room, affecting the pressure of the area.

Arielle had only left for a few minutes to whip up a snack for Nico and her eyes were wide as she returned to him. She'd heard the vase crack and it made her wonder if it was safe to be around the vampire right now. She didn't know much about the bond either, but she was mostly just there to comfort Nico. She gathered her strength and settled beside the troubled boy, handing him what looked like a juice pouch. Of course, this was no juice pouch – rather, it was a  _blood_ pouch, filled with whatever blood Harold had hunted for them to survive on. There was even a tiny little yellow straw attached. How considerate.

Though Nico remembered what Harold said about  _depending_ on Valentine's blood, he refused to believe it. His face turned grim and he eagerly took the pouch, hoping it would at least heal or soothe him if not satisfy his hunger. Ignoring the stupid straw, Nico sank his teeth into the pouch and squeezed, taking long sips. Unfortunately, it seemed to do none of these things and by the time Nico had drowned down the whole pouch, he just felt sick, as if he'd drank too much pool water.

Arielle felt her breath catch as she watched Nico drink from the pouch. She could get lost watching him devour blood like that… maybe she already was. Nico's scent had been dramatically increased ever since the mark on his back started to hurt, and it was a complete head-rush and Arielle's body burned with a yearning she wasn't sure how to handle.

 _Get a grip stupid… your only purpose here is to distract him and keep him safe… that's what you're here for, that's what you agreed to…_ a small voice in Arielle's skull was trying to make itself heard, but it was hard over the pounding in her ears.

Nico handed the empty pouch back to Arielle and muttered a small word of thanks. Too caught up in his misery, he barely took notice of her dreamy gaze and he stood up, moving to a larger sofa he could lay down on. The pain had greatly subsided compared to how it was hours ago, but it still wasn't going away. Maybe he could just sleep it off…

Nico had barely just stretched out and the sofa and closed his eyes when the front door flung open.

"Nico!"

Nico's eyes opened groggily in annoyance and he saw Harold kneeling before him, his shock and worried eyes fixed upon him. The stupid man really had awful timing, didn't he? Still, Nico pushed himself to his elbows, ignoring the pain and his dizzy sickness as he forced himself upright, looking around, trying to get his dazed mind to work.

"Harold…" He mumbled, frowning. "Where's Valentine?"

Harold was staring at him, eyes slightly wide, obviously with no answer. "He…he wasn't at his apartment. The door was unlocked when we went in."

Slowly, Violet and Ivan stepped into the house, looking just as down and grim as Harold. Nico honestly didn't care where the halfblood was, he just wanted the pain to  _go away._ He felt the frustration rise in his chest.

"They must have taken him…" Nico murmured in deeply consternated worry and alarm, struggling to get to his feet. Both Arielle and Harold stopped him, forcing to remain sitting.

"Nico, please… you're not well…" Arielle pleaded, although her face was pale and it was obvious she was very worried by everything that was going on, especially since Nico was in the center of it all. The idea that Nico might actually be in grave trouble hadn't quite seemed to dawn on her yet. She was so used to him being, well… invincible. Strong.

"I'm fine!" Nico snapped harshly, trying to throw her off. But he wasn't fine and ended up slumping sideways, forcing her to catch him. A new wave of emotion flooded through him, and Nico could barely comprehend it – he just knew it wasn't  _his._ Between all the pain and fear, there was something else that he hadn't felt in a  _long_ time, and as such he could hardly recognize it.

"They took Valentine… The Elders," he muttered hoarsely, the urgency in his tone effectively putting everything else in the room on hold. "I don't know who  _they_ are, but the one you had warned us about had promised he'd return… it must have been him.." Nico finished with a bit of frustrated vagueness. "I just didn't think they'd go straight to his apartment."

Harold stood up. "There's not many places the Elders gather around, in this area at least." He turned to the younger vampires, "It's much too dangerous to take any of you with me while I go search for them. Watch Nico and let me know if anything changes. He…" Harold hesitated. "His condition shouldn't worsen, but we don't know what they could be doing with Valentine. Don't let him out of your sight for now."

Nico would have usually been one to argue about the way Harold was speaking about him like he wasn't there, but he was trying to deal with this new emotion that seemed to be tearing through him. He shut his eyes, his body still leaning against Arielle as she stood up him to take him somewhere more comforting.

"Just make it stop…" he whispered softly to Harold before they made their way upstairs.

Harold didn't have to be asked twice.

While Ivan and Violet stayed back to try and reason with Harold to try and convince him to let them come in case he needed help, Arielle walked Nico to his bedroom. She guided him to sit against the headboard of the bed and reached for the blanket to cover him, but a warm hand against her shoulder stopped her. "Too…hot…" he mumbled, and Arielle immediately stopped trying to pull the blanket over him. Blanket or not, Nico was feeling  _very_ warm now and the strange feeling he'd felt earlier was just rising, uninvitingly building up in his chest.

Nico's breath came raggedly as he stared up at the ceiling over the bed, trying to ignore the weird sensations that were evoking in him. He could feel his blood pooling down in his groin, and… _oh, heavens…_ was he  _aroused?_

"N-…Nico? Are you okay?" Arielle's eyes were wide and afraid. Nico lowered his gaze to look at her and he slowly nodded his head, his fingers quickly reaching for the blanket that he'd so eagerly denied moments ago. No, he was  _far_ from okay. He pulled it up to his chest and he tried to sink down into the bed so that his sitting position didn't reveal his sudden… problem.

Nico couldn't recall the last time he'd been sexually attracted to anything – perhaps a long time ago, when he'd first turned into a vampire. But now… why was he getting all heated up  _now?!_ He was  _definitely_ not attracted to Arielle, and –

_Valentine._

Nico shuddered in horror as he realized  _he_ wasn't the one that was getting aroused, it was the bloody  _halfblood,_  and Nico had no choice but to sit there and endure it. He couldn't imagine what the hell could make Valentine feel like  _this,_ and he didn't really want to know. He could tell the feelings were unwanted, but then again, perhaps it was because  _he_ didn't want them right now. Not now, not in front of Arielle…  _goddamn_ it, Valentine…

 _Weird._ Everything about this was weird. He needed to get Arielle out of the room before she noticed something was wrong, but he could barely trust his own voice as the words came out, "Arielle… can I…. can I be alone for a while?"

Normally, he wouldn't ask. He'd simply  _order_ whoever was bothering him to leave. Arielle must have sensed this and realized something was wrong because she was suddenly on the bed next to him, a hand against his chest. "Shhh… it's okay, Nico…" She murmured soothingly, drawn irresistibly to comfort the other. "It will be all right. This has to pass, right? It's not real, so it has to pass, and it will… shh…"

Nico swallowed hard. A shiver coursed through him as he pressed against Arielle and he leaned eagerly into the touch.

Arielle froze. Their gazes had met and Arielle's breath caught. She couldn't process the glazed look in Nico's eyes, but his skin felt hot to the touch and he was so close,  _so damn close…_

She wasn't sure why or when she thought about doing it but slowly, she leaned in and kissed Nico very lightly. At first, Nico simply froze, an unreadable look firing through his eyes. For a moment, Arielle thought Nico would jerk away or possibly even try to hit her, but instead, the warm lips against hers responded – hesitantly, very slowly, but they definitely responded.

For a moment, Nico very nearly  _did_ push the other vampire for the sudden, incredibly intimate liberty she'd taken. It was weird, considering Nico basically thought of Arielle as his  _sister,_ that it was this simplest of touches that wrung the most emotional reaction from him. But even so, Nico didn't try to move away. The touch of Arielle's lips on his felt  _nice,_ and the panic that didn't even belong to him seemed to somewhat subside. It was such a delicious sensation… he  _couldn't_ break away, despite a certain awkwardness. This was so wrong on so many levels. But inexplicably, he found himself kissing Arielle back anyway. He might have been tempted to blame it on Arielle, that the vampire was influencing and taking advantage of him – it certainly  _felt_ like an alien force had taken over his body. But somehow… it comforted him. The strange arousal that had been building up seemed more welcome somehow and Nico found himself hungrily seeking out the passion that Arielle's lips provided.

Arielle needed little encouragement and she leaned more hungrily into the kiss, her lips moving passionately against Nico's, her fingers slightly reaching up to run through his hair. She had been physically and emotionally aching for Nico for so long, and nothing up until now seemed to ever be enough to satisfy that ache. She kissed him deeply and passionately, lips parting, tongue exploring the exotic heat of her love's mouth and playing against his fangs.

Nico's hands tangled in the soft auburn hair as he tugged her closer, tipping his head to explore more of her mouth, to drink up the small, gasping moans of delight that were shuddering through the vampire. Nico bit Arielle's lower lip, somewhat accidentally, actually, in his urgent desire for contact. But Arielle reacted so beautifully that Nico did it again, intentionally. Arielle's whole body shuddered against him and her eyes dilated sharply.

Arielle leaned more heavily into Nico, knees feeling like putty as she moaned softly in his throat. She felt the hand in her hair slowly slide down and before it got  _too_ low, she suddenly forced herself away from Nico's mouth and sat up.

"I-I think y-you're feeling better now…" Arielle managed to mumble out, hands sliding to Nico's shoulders in a very half-hearted attempt to push him back. "We should, um…" But Arielle couldn't seem to think what exactly it was they should do, because her whole body was screaming and it made things  _very_ hard to think about.

The arousal he'd felt had  _forced,_ unwanted… Arielle's kiss felt warm and it clouded the pain. He didn't want the pain to come back… Nico easily captured Arielle's hands in his and gave them a light tug, pulling her back down on him.

"We should what?" he murmured huskily, his voice low and heavy with something that his own brain couldn't comprehend. His face was close to Arielle's, his hot breath brushing the other's skin as he eyed her lips.

Arielle's eyes glazed and she arched back into the contact instinctively. She forgot whatever she'd been going to say. "We, um… we should… go…" she fought an uphill battle against herself for the words, her breath coming rapidly.

"It will be a while yet before the others check on us… we have plenty of time," Nico murmured back. There was the familiar look of a predator in his eyes again, but it excited Arielle rather than scaring her.

Arielle gulped softly. She could feel Nico's little 'problem' underneath her and her mind was unraveling. "Plenty of time for  _what?"_ she demanded in a breathless whisper.

Nico just looked at Arielle, eyes intense, a small smile playing across his lips. He leaned in and slowly ran his lips from Arielle's collarbone to her ear, causing the other to shiver helplessly.

"I need this, Arielle…" he whispered against the velvety skin of the younger vampire's earlobe, Nico's tongue and teeth playing lightly with the other's earrings. "I need  _you…"_

As Arielle shifted her head back to look Nico in the face again, her heart and stomach were fluttering crazily, mingling with the intoxicating conflagration in her blood. She knew they were playing with fire, but she wondered if they were both going to get burned. Some part of Arielle knew Nico wasn't in his right mind at the moment and it was possible she was taking advantage of him. But she'd tried to stop, and now  _he_ was the one pleading with her… Some part of her wanted Nico to know how much she liked him. How much she cared for her. She freed a hand and slid it to cup Nico's cheek.

Before Arielle could explain the emotions she'd pent up inside for  _so_ long, the door creaked open. Arielle immediately peeled herself away from Nico, but the scent of arousal and blood was already thick in the air.

Ivan's cheeks reddened when he took a step inside the room, wondering if he'd intruded on something… but  _what?_ God, he couldn't imagine Nico and Arielle…Arielle and Nico…  _Gross._ He was fairly certain they all saw each other as siblings, but perhaps he was wrong?

"I, uh…. Sorry if I'm interrupting… I just wanted to see if Nico wanted some of that leftover lasagna from, erm, a week ago…"

* * *

Tristian was not as gentle as his eyes made him seem to be.

As he'd promised, the Elder complied with Lucy's wishes and got rid of Valentine's fake scent – which had been easy enough. The haircut and styling, too, had been simple. Had Tristian even shown Valentine the result of the styling, the halfblood would have realized that he actually looked _nice,_ and very handsome. But Tristian didn't seem to be in a generous mood and left the boy's appearance for imagination. Valentine knew he had some new colors in his hair, but that was about it.

Valentine still did not understand what 'mark' he had that seemed to be of everyone's sudden concern, but there were at least five different vampires that had entered the room and checked his back, poking and prodding at something that was vaguely hurting. It felt like a bruise, nothing more. Apparently, he wasn't supposed to have it and even  _more_ apparently, it represented a life-long bond, whatever the hell that meant. Lucy seemed to know who it was he was 'bonded' to, but never said it out loud.

He didn't understand it and when he asked, he got ignored. It was best, he realized, to just stay quiet.

This, of course, was easy considering Valentine barely had the energy to sit up straight, much less speak. The Elders were so  _convinced_ to prove that the girl would wake up. She was freaking  _dead,_ couldn't they see that!? Reviving dead people – even  _vampires –_ seemed so gruesome, so… unnatural. He didn't want anything to do with it, but it's not like he had a choice in the matter. All he could do was hope that he passed out soon from too much blood loss. Everything about where he was and who came to see him was absolutely  _terrifying,_ and he had a feeling no one would notice he was in trouble.

No one would notice when he was gone, either, would they?

He didn't exactly have a family and his only friends…  _hah,_ friends. His only vampire  _acquaintances_ probably wouldn't realize he was missing until it was too late. He'd made it evident that he wanted to be left alone, and this was his punishment.

Despite the fear and panic, there were times when Valentine felt like things could have been worse. It's not like the Elders were  _hurting_ him, they were mostly just ignoring him and poking at him. Still, he was worried for when the 'friends' of these Elders would come to visit. He felt like he was some prize that had to be cleaned up and furnished before being placed for the world to see. It felt  _wrong,_ and Valentine so desperately wished the Elders would just take whatever they wanted from him without humiliating him.

Tristian, as it eventually began to appear, seemed to enjoy humiliating Valentine.

Which is why when he stepped into the room for just about the  _hundredth_ time that day, Valentine stiffened and pulled his legs up to his bare chest.

"Still not hungry?" The Elder asked as he held out a small plastic bottle filled with dark red liquid. Blood.

Valentine swallowed around the lump in his throat and shook his head, feeling slightly disgusted by the idea.

"Whatever, not like you'll stomach it anyway," Tristian mumbled under his breath as he twisted the bottle cap open and drank a few sips of the crimson liquid as if it was simply a bottle of water. Valentine looked away, ignoring the nausea that was building up in his gut. How could he drink it just like that…? That was  _blood._ The blood of something  _living._ Probably dead now, though…

Tristian licked his lips and closed the bottle. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a vial much similar to the one he'd used to keep Valentine's blood in. He extended his arm to hand it to Valentine, who just stared at it.

"I need your sperm," Tristian explained flatly.

Valentine felt a heated blush rise to his cheeks and it took him a moment to realize the Elder was dead serious. He shook his head in refusal and didn't take the vial.

Tristian made a clicking sound with his tongue, "You misunderstood… I  _need_ your sperm. If you're not going to offer it, I'll be more than happy to force it out of you."

Valentine wanted to snort. How the hell would this Elder force it out of—

Tristian was suddenly down beside the halfblood and he wasted no time in delving his hand right into Valentine's pants, his fingers quickly finding and wrapping around Valentine's flesh.

"Wha—Nnnng!" Valentine's muffled cry was half groan as his chest shuddered hard, Tristian's long, smooth fingers eliciting a kind of sensation he'd never imagined. There were many things Valentine honestly did not know about his body – thanks to the fact that he'd been  _asleep_ for most of his life – but he knew what private parts were for. At least, he knew what they were for based on what he'd learned in biology class. Something about when two people love each other…

 _This_ was not love, and Valentine sure as hell did not love this bastard. He inhaled sharply at the unexpected and somewhat unnatural sensation of Tristian's moving fingers. The shock of it cleared the haze from his brain just a little and his glazed eyes widened.

"What a-are you…?" If it was possible, the flush of Valentine's face deepened. The fingers stroked harder, causing Valentine to squirm with conflictingly equal amounts of arousal, discomfort and dismay. His hands were still tied and he was too pressed up against the wall to try and escape anywhere else. This was so humiliating…

"Please, sto—Nnng!" Tristian's lips locking over his and the Elder's hand clamping firmly around his semi-aroused flesh cut off Valentine's protest. He stroked him, slowly but powerfully, the fingers of his other hand cupping against Valentine's cheeks. Caught between the unfamiliar sensations, Valentine felt lost and broken. He didn't understand. He didn't understand why he could hate this so much, why it could hurt and yet it could still feel good. What was wrong with him? He felt so sick he thought he actually might throw up.

 _It can't last forever… it can't last forever…_ the young halfblood told himself over and over as he struggled to endure what was being done to him. But it  _felt_ like forever. They were both  _males_ and they…they didn't love each other… Valentine didn't understand. He didn't understand why it was _feeling good._ There was no way Valentine could hold back his tears for a while, the pain was too much, the humiliation and vulnerability too stark and he was too weakened. The hot, salty traitorous drops escaped down his face in pain and shame, fully displaying his helpless vulnerability to his violator.

Discomfort was quickly morphing into a strange, new kind of pleasure as the Elder's fingers curled and stroked, finding all the places Valentine had never in his wildest dreams imagined he would want to be touched and bringing them to life. Valentine's fingers dug into the robes around his hands.

He didn't know when it happened, but something in the back of his head started to make him feel relaxed… It was an emotion that felt distant, like it wasn't his, but it felt  _nice._ Valentine clung onto it and a strange, delightful heat fingered through him. His body latched onto that foreign emotion as an escape from the pain he was feeling and he responded much too readily to Tristian's ministrations. He felt his guilt twist in renewed nausea at just  _how_ readily he responded and he tried to fight it… but he was helpless against the pleasure. Tristian's touch was damning, but intoxicating. Skilled fingers stroked, teased, and caressed Valentine's heated skin until the younger vampire could barely breathe with the confused, trembling tenseness growing in his chest and groin.

Tristian's thumb slid across his moist head, teasing the hot, flushed, velvety skin in a way that made Valentine's stomach muscles quiver and tense as if in a convulsion as heat shuddered through him. Tristian lowered his hand from Valentine's cheek and used it to unbutton Valentine's pants. The halfblood could not feel any more humiliated than he already was, and he hardly reacted to it.

Against his will, Valentine's hips started moving in short little jerks, thrusting tentatively into Tristan's hand. The Elder pulled his lips away from Valentine's face and gave the halfblood a small, knowing smirk. Valentine found himself resisting the urge to cry again as his body started to surrender. He  _ached_ from the pleasure flooding him, he felt heavy with it, like it was a weight he could not bear and yet one that was delicious even as it crushed him. The need Tristian kindled in him burned bright and hot and he resisted the urge to moan.

"So eager to offer that sample now, young one?' Tristian taunted smoothly as his fingers stroked, making Valentine's back arch helplessly against the wall. His face contorted in a fresh tableau of shame and hatred and he turned his head to the side, his body twisting in a weak, ineffectual attempt at escape. Tristian seemed to notice this and his fingers stroked harder and Valentine felt the fire pooled so painfully heavy in his groin explode into a sea of complete, unimaginable ecstasy that seemed to thrum and tear through every fiber of his being as it shredded him with white hot claws, carving out a piece of himself that he could never get back.

Time literally seemed to haze out for a few minutes. Valentine was vaguely aware that he was groaning loudly. Tristian was occupied with making sure his release was placed safely in the vial. But all Valentine was aware of was the agonizing bliss burning his nerves and whiting out his thoughts as he came unimaginably hard. He sobbed, chest heaving, torn between equally intense agony and bliss… and smothered under a falling curtain of shame.

If Tristian really was as gentle as his eyes, he would have had to take pity on the utterly, abjectly miserable picture the boy made. But Tristian had lived far too long to have a heart. Valentine was here for a reason. It was that simple. It was over when Tristian said it was. Until then, Valentine would just have to learn what it meant to be under the Elders' mercy.

Valentine sobbed softly as Tristian collected the boy's release and left the room. He faintly recalled someone coming to help him clean up and change, but Valentine was not untied. He was too drained to care, too gone to even feel embarrassed as his body was washed. He was exhausted and he passed out sometime before the servant or whoever it was had finished. He slept for almost 5 hours, and his dreams were full of nightmares.

Unfortunately, when he awoke, life was still a nightmare. But at least he was no longer connected to the dead vampire. Maybe the stupid Elders finally realized giving a dead person blood was  _not_ the answer to revival.

Between the dreaded visits from Tristian, he spent a lot of his time in this half-dazed state. They offered him little food and water, keeping him marginally sustained since they apparently didn't want him to die, but his true hunger was left un-sated and Valentine burned relentlessly for blood, the silent, unending torture of his body's need adding to the rest of the torment inflicted upon him. Of course, they offered the blood – he just refused to take it. Refused to have his walls crushed completely, refused to surrender to that hunger…

He'd already surrendered far too much.

Valentine heard the door creak as it opened, his body immediately tensing at the sound of footsteps. He tried not to let them see how deeply their appearance cut fear into his heart, how much he dreaded and hated the sound of movement at the door of his prison. But he didn't always succeed. He was too weak, and they'd broken him too grievously, too often. He couldn't help the way he shrank back lightly, as far as the wall behind him and the knots at his hands would let him. His heart raced in sickening fear as he saw Tristian walk in, another empty vial in his hand.

 _No… damn you, no…_ he was still shaking sluggishly from the last time, it hadn't been that long ago. He couldn't do this again… he just couldn't. They didn't even tell him what they were doing, and there was nothing they seemed to want him to do except suffer and suffer…

Valentine steeled himself, his fists clenching angrily into fists as he breathed slowly through his teeth.  _Please… no. No more…_ his mind pleaded, but those words would never escape his lips.

Suddenly, he realized Tristian was not the only one who had entered the room. They were not alone… his eyes widened with shock as they met with the large eyes staring back at him with a matching expression.

The small girl stepped out from behind Tristian, revealing that her hands had been tied as well. Tristian placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a light shove into the room. She stumbled forward, her eyes never leaving Valentine. Tristian closed the door after them and without explanation, he pulled out a small hypothermic needle and crumbled the wrapper it had been enclosed in. Reaching over, he pinched the girl's arm and slid the needle into her skin, extracting a bit of blood. He transferred the blood into the vial and gave Valentine a faint hint of a smirk before disappearing out of the room, leaving the young girl with Valentine.

It was the vampire girl, the one that had bitten him back in the forest. She was alive…

The girl was trembling hard as she stumbled weakly into the room and settled herself against the wall farthest away from Valentine.

A moment passed before the girl attempted to wiggle out of her restraints. When it failed, she let out a tiny sigh and stared at the sad excuse of a halfblood. Valentine's head was set against the wall, his chin slightly tilted upwards so that he could stare at the ceiling, nothing else. It appeared his blood had somehow brought the girl back to life… sure, it was unnatural, but why didn't he feel happy? It meant he never really killed her, right? It meant—

"You… you're the halfblood?" The girl's voice was small, scared. It was a great contrast to how she'd been when they'd first at the forest – he faintly recalled glowing eyes and a huge fang-filled mouth… perhaps first impressions weren't everything?

Slowly, Valentine lowered his gaze from the ceiling and nodded his head once. He didn't know what he was, in all honesty. But that didn't matter. Nothing mattered any more.

The girl's hands formed into fists and suddenly she was  _glaring_ at Valentine, as if it was  _his_ fault she'd bitten him. "I hate you… you did this to me…I  _hate you_. I  _hate_ your blood, I  _wish_ I was dead rather than live like this… " The girl wasn't shouting, she was merely just hissing the words and glaring, yet those very same words seemed to hurt Valentine and his head felt like it was spinning for a moment.

Hate? Yes, his blood killed her, but… was that  _really_ his fault? He gave her a questioning gaze, too tired and too confused to trust himself to speak.

The girl seemed to understand the silent question and she stubbornly tore her gaze away. For a moment, she really did look like a young girl and Valentine truly felt bad for having hurt her…

"Because you… you turned me into a human again."


End file.
